Preparing for the future
“The E3 and internship programmes especially have transformed me, helping me to gain many skills. Now that I have resettled in Canada, I can see how much these programmes have enhanced my knowledge and prepared me to improve myself continually.”
My name is Yasamin Turkmani and I am 22 years old. Originally from Afghanistan, I lived in Indonesia with my family from 2016 to 2024. Living in Indonesia for nearly nine years taught me so much about adapting to a new environment. I completed high school through an American program called EOS (Elite Open School) at a refugee school called HLC (Hope Learning Centre), where my favourite subject was Math. For almost a year, I volunteered as a teacher at another refugee school, CRLC (Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre). I coordinated students for EOS and taught Math, and this gave me valuable teaching experience.
I learned about JRS through a refugee group and was eager to join the digital education course to gain more experience and develop my skills. I was in the 7th cohort of the digital marketing course. The course provided me with many new skills, from learning Adobe software and Microsoft Office to website design. One of the most interesting lessons was the class on visual communication design. I had never heard of such a topic before this course and it was eye-opening. Before I graduated from the course, I had to create my portfolio and that was something I especially enjoyed doing. I am so grateful to each of my mentors and my classmates for their support and friendship.
Designs by Yasamin
After I graduated, I went for an interview and managed to get an internship facilitated by JRS. I’ve been interning with Bray Leino Splash for over six months and my responsibilities include banner design, and replicating materials, among other tasks. As an intern, I encountered several challenges, but my mentor has provided a lot of helpful guidance.
Once, when I made many mistakes on a project, my mentor advised me not to rush, to take my time, and to focus on understanding the work thoroughly. That experience taught me the importance of planning and asking questions whenever needed. With my mentor’s support, I have now successfully completed two projects for real clients in my company! I want to say a big thank you to Bray Leino Splash for this wonderful opportunity.
To other E3 students, I would like to say: study hard, focus on your lessons, and don’t hesitate to ask questions if you’re confused, there’s no shame in asking. And most importantly, don’t give up!!!
While the interns are offered guidance to produce professional quality work, their mentors, who are experienced designers, also get an opportunity to develop their skills as supervisors in a low-risk environment, thereby preparing them for leadership roles within our organisation.
The mentors also see this as a meaningful activity. Overall, it has contributed to an uplift of morale in our company. So thank you JRS for this opportunity to mentor the interns.
~ Lee Kuok Ming
Group Chief Executive Officer, Bray Leino Splash Singapore