NJ MAG_437 _24

YoUr SpAce

_by Warangtip Singhakarn

leArn & eArn

it's 10 minutes to 8am. even though it should be my day off, i’m still stuck in rush-hour traffic as it crawls along Sukhumvit road. eventually, i pace into the UBc ii building, located in the heart of Bangkok, to clock in on time. i’m a junior student on the Bachelor of Arts course in Journalism (Mass Media) at thammasat University but i spend my free time working on the learn & earn @ ktc project at ktc: a volunteer position that’s paid!

I decided to enroll in KTC’s Public and Corporate Affairs department as experience in PR can be used in many careers, so it would be advantageous for my future. I’ve been on this course for six months and I’ve found it has already given me more than just learning and earning. As a PR representative, I’m responsible for checking news releases and gathering news cuttings from many newspapers and magazines to summarise the news for the company CEO and officers. Moreover, I also help out with

_25 NJ MAG_437

neW WordSday off: compound n., วันหยุดadvantageous: adj., เป็น

ประโยชน์news cuttings: compound

n., ข่าวที่ถูกตัดออกมาtranquility: n., ความสงบtrivial: adj., ไม่ส�าคัญ

press conferences. I have learned the workflow for all the events. I was even assigned to be the MC for the 10th Learn & Earn @ KTC Top Performance Awards event. I didn’t do so well but KTC was willing to give me another chance to practise, encouraging me and advising me how to enhance my skills. They made me more confident to tackle unexpected problems. Working for KTC is not limited to office jobs; I’m also involved with the organization’s social contributions. I’m really impressed with KTC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. It has established many good projects such as fund raising, re-forestation and other useful activities. We are encouraged to propose CSR projects and if they are seen to have value for society they are often accepted.

Recently, I visited a KTC project at the Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry. We were hosting journalists to give them first-hand experienceof this aspect of healthcare. At first,I was nervous. I imagined it would be difficult being surrounded by sick people; in fact, I was surprised: it was actually a place of tranquility. Many of the patients smiled all the time and they all seemed cheerfully occupied with their tasks. It made me think of more ‘normal’ people who often seem to complain about the things they have to do. I felt ashamed but motivated at the same time. As part of my responsibility, I prepared activities to educate the reporters and others to entertain the patient. I learnt about psychiatric care and the history of psychiatric medicine in Thailand. Most impressive, however, was when the PR

department provided ice cream for the patients. That definitely brought a smile to their faces. Learn & Earn @ KTC is a project for undergraduates and Masters' students and is a useful way to spend your free time. Here, they accept many ideas from Learn & Earn students. As a volunteer, I am encouraged to express my opinions and report weak points. The tasks I am assigned are creative and are taken seriously by the organization - definitely not trivial. I hope you enjoyed my story about Learn & Earn at KTC. This is a project well worth talking about.