To be able to work on a real life campaign while still in school (and declare it a success!) could be a really fulfilling experience, as a group of six undergraduates from the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) found out.
The members of Dream Weavers, as they call themselves – comprising Grace Aik Enyan, Bernard Tay Jia Hui, Doreen Tan Si Wei, Cassandra Lau Yi En, Trisha Kuek Shuyan and Joan Poon Shi Chee, first met through the Strategic Brand Management (SBM) course they took at LKCSB. “It was here that we were assigned into a team, and the rest is history,” said team-leader, Grace.
Having emerged champs in the ‘Best Social Media Campaign’ award in the "So You Think You Can Brand" competition, which takes place at the end of each term as part of the SBM course, the team also won the prized opportunity to do an internship with Her World. Their task was to bring to life the inaugural The Young Woman Achiever Forum.
Held in conjunction with International Women’s Day, the Forum was an inaugural platform by Her World and herworldPLUS to recognise young women in Singapore who have pursued their dreams and made their mark in today's world. Hosted at SMU, it brought together a panel of successful young women leaders and experts who shared their life stories and leadership lessons. They included (pictured above, from left to right): Dr Tanvi Gautam, Programme Director of Women and Leadership at SMU; Ms Celeste Chong, Co-founder of The Butter Factory; Ms Pat Law, Award-winning Digital Media Strategist; Ms Jane Lee, Co-founder of Singapore Women Everest Team; and Ms Syaira Suhimi, Owner and Head Baker at Fluff Bakery.
Tasked to come up with a Social Media Campaign to market the Forum, Team Dream Weavers launched a ‘Dare to Dream’ campaign which not only successfully generated awareness of the event, but also inspired young women to pursue their passion and dreams. The online campaign featured ‘young dream builders’ who were blazing the trail and pushing boundaries, and provided them a platform to share their stories and inspire other young people to believe in themselves.
If attendance, audience engagement and buzz were anything to go by, the event, which attracted over 200 participants from all walks of life, was definitely a roaring success for this team of SMU undergraduates who worked hard behind the Campaign.
Reminiscing her very first meeting with the herworldPLUS team, Cassandra said, “I conveyed the thought of the "dare-to-dream" campaign, which turned out to be a great idea. To think that I could come up with a viable idea that materialised into a Social Media Campaign, and to see it come to life was really heartening!”
For Grace, it was the people she met in the course of the project who left the deepest impression. “There was a very impressive line-up of speakers at the Forum, women who had achieved so much and gone after what they wanted in life. They had many good insights to share about the ‘real’ story behind their success. It was difficult not to feel inspired!” she said.
She added, “SMU seemed like the best environment for someone like me to thrive in. Looking back, I've definitely enjoyed my SMU experience. I consider myself blessed to have met some amazing individuals, and have professors who were great mentors. I think it's important to make the most of what you're given, and SMU is definitely a place where you have opportunities to try many different things if you are willing to go after them.” Grace, who is in her fourth year, will be graduating this year.
Grace was not the only one who treasures her SMU years. Cassandra shared, “While I was accepted into a number of universities, I made the decision to come to SMU for two reasons: first, the opportunities such as internships and exchange programmes; and second, the specialty of business offered. The opportunities that I have received have surpassed my expectations and I have so many memories and learning points to take with me.”
“My SMU experience has been a whirlwind of highs and lows, but I treasure every single moment of it. While it may have been tough for me to juggle my studies, CCA and external commitments, the friendships made and the student life that I get from SMU has made it worthwhile,” Casandra added.
View the full gallery of event photos here.
