“Media Mavens” at the Lien Centre
By: Stephanie Tran Rojas, Nursing ’20
Lien Centre for Social Innovation – Singapore
When first entering the office of the media team, I felt a worried chill zing through me. “What if I can’t make friends?” However, this doubt quickly dissipated amongst the lighthearted banter of the group. I was introduced to the team, added to our “Media Mavens” Telegram chat, and bore witness to the tomfoolery of my new colleagues.Â
I strongly believe that this free, humorous environment that allows everyone to be silly also maintains the flow of creativity for our work. All of my colleagues are undoubtedly advanced in their specialties, but their expertise is demonstrated through their work versus unnecessary professionalism. They only focus their time and energy in the absolute necessity, whether it be their research on social issues, their interactions with interviewees, or development of innovative media modes to engage the Singaporean community on the issues facing their society. I value this outlook and similarly hope to learn this work attitude well, and implement it in my future work environment. It creates a sense of fulfillment and workplace loyalty in me I have never quite felt in my work.
They are truly great people to be around, the type you want to have a conversation with after work. Unlike some of my past work experiences, I felt like a real part of the team, appreciated and respected for what I can contribute. In small, non-profit organizations, they rely on such a small group of workers that must give their all to make the efforts of the organization impactful, and I can feel that in the small, silent sacrifices each person makes to complete their duties.
In our workspace in the Lien Centre for Social Innovation, we have a very cozy layout. The space is efficiently used, but not compact or dense. The interns all have their own desks and accompanying drawers that gave me a sense of professionalism that allowed me to realize the real work and responsibility I had ahead of me. However, the individual desks were all physically connected to one another, all part of the same single wooden structure, but carved out into individual sections. This cubical setup felt very nice because it was easy to all lookup and see the faces of your coworkers—allowing the interns to often share nervous glances and laughs from our desks!
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce. Placements and funding awards are available.