As someone ten years their junior, it felt almost as if I was looking into the future. I saw glimpses of my classmates in each of them. By watching their camaraderie, it was evident that the LKY community remains tightly knit well after graduation!
It was clear from the stories of the alumni’s journeys that while they may have started off in some direction right after graduation, their careers today stood quite different from where they started. John emphasized that this may be a good thing. He spoke about the importance of certainly having a focus in one’s career, but to not make it laser sharp either.
Dr. Katherine, for instance, spoke about the fuzzy direction life had taken her on. She did her paediatrics residency several years ago, after which decided to shift to health policy. She worked with research institutions, international organisations and did some consulting work. Now after nearly 10 years, she is an Adjunct Professor for Health Policy and Administration at the University of Philippines, where she is able to impart her well-rounded knowledge of health policy and healthcare systems.
From their conversations, it was clear that nearly all of them had changed streams along their career path – dabbling in government, private, and non-profit sectors, and were able to transfer skills between their jobs to gain a well-rounded perspective of their field.