Cheong Tyng-Tyng

I chose to study at Murdoch because when I was doing my research on which university to go to, Murdoch came across as a university that understood students' needs and was flexible enough to allow students to select the units they wanted to study. Choosing Media Studies was an obvious choice for me because while I was studying for my Diploma in Mass Communication, I knew I had fallen in love with radio broadcasting and had to pursue that passion regardless of whether I was going to have a career in radio broadcasting.

My stay at Murdoch was a "magical experience" because there seemed to be a certain charm about the university. The ingredients that went into making that special 'charm' were the excellent lecturers and tutors, the environment conducive for play and study, as well as the helpful staff who were ever willing to lend a hand.

Currently my job is to empower parents in Singapore in guiding their children on the safe use of the Internet. There is growing concern among parents on what their children are exposed to when surfing the Internet. They would like to educate them on safety tips but most of the time, are unable to do so because they are not familiar with the Internet.

To enable parents to meet the challenges ahead of them, the Media Development Authority (MDA) helped form the volunteer group, Parents Advisory Group for the Internet (PAGi). Together with my colleagues, we have been given the task to manage running the group. This entails strategic planning for the group, media planning, organising events such as seminars and conventions, building volunteer loyalty, collaborating with like-minded international organisations to work towards a safe surfing environment, seeking for training partnerships with various organisations to conduct online safety training for local parents.

Working on PAGi is like a dream come true because in this job, I know I am in a small but definite way, helping and contributing to society. It has also been especially rewarding to be working with volunteers. Their enthusiasm spurs me on no matter how exhausting the work can be.

Although I am not applying the theories that I have studied at Murdoch directly, the lecturers and tutors have given me the skills to look at things from different perspectives. They have given me information on how the media industry works, which is especially useful when media relations skills are fundamental for my job.

As this was the first time I was away from Murdoch, my student life helped me realise what I am capable of. Murdoch has also helped me gain self-confidence and self-perseverance, which is needed in order for me to cope with challenges I face in both my working and personal life.

I hope to be in a career that I know I can contribute to the community and society, and that I am working not just to earn money. It is the sense of fulfilment I am looking for in my career.

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