Kalene's Biodata (revised)

My name is Kalene. I am a Year 3 Life Science Major from National University of Singapore (NUS), concentrating in Biomedical Science. As a highly motivated learner, I take up many modules from a myriad of different fields including marketing, economics, communications and language. The exposure to different learning experiences has developed my flexibility and allowed me to adapt to changes quickly.

To get as much out of my tertiary education in NUS as possible, I applied for Student Exchange Programme to Boston University successfully. This exchange developed my independence and resilience. My time management skills were further honed as I played hard and studied hard. In my 4-month stint in Boston, I planned my travelling trips and had travelled extensively to several places. To name a few, I had been to Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and Ottawa. In addition, my outlook of the world has been broadened from my exposure to the different cultures and mindset of the Americans, as well as friends from other countries. As such, I have learned to communicate and interact with people from different cultural backgrounds.

Also, I sought for and obtained a 3-month internship with Genome Institute of Singapore during the summer break in Year 2008. From this experience, I learnt relevant practical skills that are applicable to the life science industry. In addition, it had not only developed my tenacity due to the failure-prone nature of research but had also given me a taste of research in real-life.

In addition to my interest in learning, I have been actively involved in volunteerism since junior college. This year, I am participating in VietnamJUMP 2009 which is an overseas humanitarian trip. From these volunteering activities, I have come to understand that no single individual’s efforts can make any activity a success. This understanding has further emphasised the importance of teamwork and team spirit.

Being an empathetic and compassionate individual, I went for Community First Aid course held by Red Cross Society. In addition, I sought for attachment to Changi General Hospital and successfully obtained a 1-week attachment to General Surgery Ward in Year 2006. The attachment had demonstrated the advantages of being able to speak more than one language. When speaking to people of other races or other dialects, being able to communicate with them in the language they are comfortable with certainly helps in developing greater rapport.

As such, my ability to speak three languages, namely English, Mandarin and Dialects, is certainly an advantage in a cosmopolitan country like Singapore. I have also taken up Bahasa Melayu so as to build greater rapport with my Malay counterparts.

Prior to my entry to NUS, I was actively involved in Temasek Junior College Chinese Orchestra. Being a Wind and Percussion Sectional Leader, I was responsible for ensuring my members play their pieces well and to get them to turn up for practices. This had developed my communication skills and leadership skills. I had to be tactful and yet bring across my point in a way that my members would interprete accurately. In SYF 2005, we were awarded Gold.

Due to my academic excellence and good CCA record in Temasek Junior College, I was awarded Edusave Awards for Achievement, Good Leadership and Services (EAGLES) in Year 2005. My experience in junior college had inculcated in me the steel determination and perseverance to overcome all odds to achieve my aim of faring well in the academic field, as well as in my CCA.

Work-wise, I had a 6-month stint in Phang & Co Advocates & Solicitors in Year 2006. As a secretarial assistant, I had to screen my boss’s phone calls, liaised with customers, handled administrative matters and was responsible for a few projects. This experience had honed my multi-tasking skills and further developed my communication skills.

As can be seen, I have gathered experiences of many different natures. I like to experiment, gain exposure to different natures of activities, step beyond my comfort zone and seek to continuously improve myself. Given my positive attitude towards learning and ability to work well in a team as well as individually, I am confident of contributing to the company.