Connexscions Volume VIII Issue 02 Jan - WKWSCI Home - Nanyang ...

ALUMNI
ALUMNI
Desmond Lim
SERENE LOO
WONG VOAL
VOAL
JUSTIN
ZHUANG
Class of 2007
Photojournalist,
The Straits Times
Was most likely to...
Have done his readings
Winner of SPH News Picture of the Year 2010 and
US-based Best News Design Competition 2010. He
currently works on The Saturday Special Report section
of The Straits Times.
When I think of my first day in WKWSCI, I remember
feeling really out of place.
The teacher I will never forget is anyone who taught
me because they have all shaped me one way or another.
The module I most enjoyed was strangely, Indian
Cinema in my second year.
Class of 1999
Media Manager, Shell
Eastern Petroleum
Was most likely to …
Work on Channel 8
Best known for being a news presenter on Ch8’s prime
time news bulletin. After being in the media industry
for 10 years, Serene made the switch to Shell where she
now implements communication plans to reach out
to Shell’s different stakeholders, including the media,
customers and the public.
When I think of my first day in WKWSCI, I remember
Freshmen Orientation Camp and meeting some of the
most creative, passionate and quirky people.
The teacher I will never forget is Sharen Liu because she
was my final year project supervisor and she expected
a lot from us. This was probably one of the reasons why
my team won an award for the video project.
The module I most enjoyed was Future Studies. It
challenged me to think out of the box.
Class of 1993
Founding Partner,
IN.FOM
Was most likely to...
Work in public relations
Best known for living and breathing PR. Previously the
Regional Director at H&K Strategies, Voal Voal left to
set up IN.FOM, a regional communication consultancy,
because it has always been his goal to “be able to shape a
world-class PR practice on my own terms and hopefully
along the way, improve the standard of PR trade”.
When I think of my first day in WKWSCI, I remember
a great sense of adventure being a pioneer of the school
and learning something which most people wouldn’t
think of as important.
The teacher I will never forget is Yeap Soon Beng
because in one of his first few lectures with us, he
encouraged us to watch more TV—how cool is that
The module I most enjoyed was the FYP—I was able to
produce something that is relevant to the PR industry.
Class of 2009
Writer, In Plain
Words
Was most likely to...
Become a politician
Best known for the documentation of Singapore’s creative
community. Justin runs In Plain Words, a writing studio that
provides writing and editorial services. He was commissioned
by non-profit organisation The Design Society to create the
book “INDEPENDENCE: The History of Graphic Design in
Singapore since the 1960s”. It has just been released this April.
When I think of my first day in WKWSCI, I remember
wondering why the school had so many “cool” kids.
As an undergrad, you would most likely find me on campus
figuring out how to get out of it so that I can learn more from
the world outside.
As an undergrad, you would most likely find me on
campus trying to be invisible.
If I were to be an undergrad all over again, I would do
more outside of course work.
SCI left an indelible impression on me because it paved
the way for my current career.
I became a journalist because I’ve always enjoyed
reading and telling stories, whether in text or photos.
I wish I could interview my paternal grandfather. I
remember being close to him when I was young but
not so much when I grew up. Sadly, he passed away in
2006. If I had a choice, I would love to cajole him to tell
me his life story and how he came to Singapore from
China. Many people think that great stories can only be
found in some exotic faraway country. To me, stories
are everywhere and the ones that are most interesting
and neglected are just right in front of us.
WKWSCI left an indelible impression on me because
of the insights I gained, the interesting people I met and
the values it entrenched in me.
From presenting prime time news on MediaCorp’s
Channel 8 & Channel U, I switched career tracks
because I had a wonderful career at MediaCorp working
both behind and in front of the camera as a producer,
reporter and presenter. Then I came to a point where
I asked myself, what new things could I learn What
followed was the opportunity to work for Shell. I find
it both exciting and challenging to work in the energy
industry, as it is a vital aspect of our lives.
My inspirations are my family. I have extremely
supportive parents who give me the freedom to choose
what I want to pursue in life. My husband whom I am
still crazily in love with and depend on whenever I need
some good advice. My two daughters who are two years
old and less than one month old respectively. Their
laughter and hugs are the best motivation.
The school left an indelible impression on me because
of the incredible pioneering spirit that the first batch of
students had.
If I weren’t in PR, I would be an archaeologist or a
historian—the passion for information and knowledge
flows in me.
Since I studied PR at WKWSCI, the industry has
changed in how social and digital media have altered
the way information and knowledge are created and
consumed. Most PR practitioners are still grappling
with these on-going changes. But, the fundamentals
of sound communication remain unchanged. What is
challenging is for practitioners without a good foundation
in communication to try to grapple with this paradigm
shift—you are learning how to swim in choppy seas.
My hope for my career is to enjoy every single day I
have working with revolutionary business thinkers and
talented PR practitioners and marketers.
WKWSCI left an indelible impression on me because I met
a group of friends who have continuously inspired me to be
better at what I do and to find meaning in the work I produce.
My documentation of Singapore’s creative community had
its roots in school. While working on the final assignment
for the Arts and Culture Reporting module (do they still have
that), I interviewed graphic designers and academics who
later gave me opportunities to work on projects to document
Singapore’s creative community. I think this is an important
community because through their work they are helping give
shape to the soul of Singapore, something that I’ve always
found lacking in this country.
My book is the first to document the history of modern
graphic design’s development in Singapore and was put
together after interviews with close to 100 graphic designers
and countless hours of studying materials from the archive
and the library. I was very fortunate to meet The Design
Society who had a lot of faith in a young writer like me.
24 CONNEXSCIONS
CONNEXSCIONS 25