Organised by the GIS Digital Learning Strand with the help of the Strand Director, Year 12 student Sonny Ku and supervising teacher Ms Anouska Doyle, ‘Tech-inar’ was a series of webinars, for students, staff and parents, focusing on learning from our inspiring alumni who are currently working within the Digital and Tech fields.
Three 30 minute sessions ran throughout March, each with alumni engaged in different tech-related careers. The variety showed the breadth of the tech industry and how opportunities can arise to move between different roles within a tech company. The attendees enjoyed an online session with three of our alumni, who generously gave up their time to share their career tips, experiences of working life, and general life lessons.
Ms Anouska Doyle – Art and Photography Teacher / Digital Learning Coach
“This was a great opportunity for our Digital Learning Strand leaders to host an event in an area they are passionate about and build relationships with our GIS Alumni. I feel events like this are so important as students get to hear real-life stories from people who have walked in the same footsteps, have an understanding of their concerns about future choices and can reassure them with some personal advice.
The guests of the sessions had great questions to ask, and they gained some tips on how they could work towards a career in the tech industry, starting now with internships. What was refreshing to hear was that the speakers felt you don’t always need to know the direction you are going in; you just need to keep an open mind, be curious and this can lead to endless and unexpected opportunities. These sessions were uplifting and a pleasure to oversee; I look forward to many more events like this in the future. Well done to the Digital Strand Leaders for all their hard work in organising this event.”
Student Sonny Ku (12G) – Digital Learning Strand Director
“It has been really exciting for us to hold our Tech-inar sessions with our amazing alumni! On behalf of the Digital Strand, I would like to thank Roy, Gwen and Dan for taking the time to talk about their inspirational life stories and experiences. I have personally learnt a lot from each presentation and I am confident that others have too. We really appreciate your tips and informative answers to all the questions we’ve asked. It gave us a better insight into what life is like beyond GIS. As a Year 12 student who is interested in developing a career in the tech field, I found this particularly useful. I would also like to thank Ms Nirmala Devi Nadarasan from the GIS Alumni Relations Office and Ms Doyle for allowing this to happen. Your continuous support has allowed us to launch a successful event. We would love to have more alumni working in different fields to come and share their experiences. I look forward to seeing the next Digital Strand Leaders host another successful series of Tech-inar!”
Here are some of the words of wisdom shared during the session:
Alumni Roy Hanninger, Class of ‘11
SAP Technical Consultant at Arvato Systems, Malaysia
“I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to speak to GIS students about my experience so far in the tech industry – which has been both challenging and rewarding. In addition, this experience also reminded me of my time as a GIS student, and how it shaped my decision to go into the tech field.”
Alumni Gwen Chin, Class of ‘15
Digital Director at Revilo Recruitment, Singapore
“It was such a pleasure and honour being invited to speak with students at the recent GIS Tech-inar, and I’d like to thank the GIS Alumni Relations Office for the opportunity. I’m glad that I got to give back to the community I grew up in, by sharing my own experiences and helping students understand what they can expect as they make the transition into higher education options and beyond. Alumni exposure is crucial to school events as students, parents and teachers alike can get real-time and honest insights into what to expect outside of the walls of secondary education. With the economy and workforce demands constantly changing, it is useful to understand and educate the community on these changes. As I progress in my career and have had more opportunities for leadership, I find myself being able to better advise and influence the future generation through my experiences and candid feedback. This, in my opinion, is how the future generation can prepare themselves for what lies ahead for them.”
Alumni Daniel Wong, Class of ‘12
Product Manager at Shopee, Malaysia
“It’s been of great pleasure for me to share my career and life experiences with these driven and determined students of GIS. I hope I’ve been able to inspire and provide some clarity on what it is like working in Tech. My key advice is to stay curious, keep learning and be resilient through the hardships of life.”
A huge ‘Thank You’ to these inspiring Alumni, who generously shared their time and experiences with our Year 12 students virtually, despite their busy daily schedules. If you are interested in sharing your journey post-GIS, then please get in touch with us at alumni@gardenschool.edu.my
We are always updating our page with news from the Alumni community across the continents, and would love to hear from you and share your stories. Please get in touch via Facebook, LinkedIn or simply send an email to alumni@gardenschool.edu.my. We can’t wait to hear from you!