Jeremy Koh (29/97) was a student councillor from the 14th Students' Council. With a very friendly and easy going personality, he has always been very popular among his peers. After graduating from AJC in 1998, he moved on to Nanyang Technological University where he majored in Communications Studies. Currently, he is a Broadcast Journalist with MediaCorp Radio 938Live.
(I: Interviewer; J: Jeremy)
I) What did you work as upon your graduation from NTU Communications Studies?
J: Well, basically, I've been working on a part-time basis with Capital Radio since I completed my 6-month internship in 2004. After I graduated from NTU in April, I continued working there as a broadcast journalist for a month or so before I went for my graduation trip to Europe. After I came back from Europe, I took a short break before I started work as a Broadcast Journalist with 938Live.
I) Any interesting experience or news that you covered that you would like to share with us while working temporarily for Capital 95.8 FM?
J: In total, I was with Capital Radio for about a year and a half. During that period, I've had the opportunity to report on variety of news, from the usual crime stories to major events like the collapse of the Nicoll Highway. I can still remember the day when Nicoll Highway collapsed. I was working on another story when suddenly my boss asked me to go to Suntec City to report on the blackout that was caused by the collapse. When that was done, I was sent to the actual collapse site. It felt so surreal when I actually saw for myself how bad the whole situation was. But of course there wasn't much time to reflect on what I saw. Once I got there, it was work, work and more work! Also, there's all the adrenalin rush as well, because I wanted to get the news out as fast as possible. But even though it was very tiring, the thought that the listeners were standing by their radios waiting to hear the latest updates kept me going.
I) So what shows are you currently hosting on Mediacorp Radio?
J: Well, besides news gathering, I'm currently hosting two programmes. The first is Huayu Cool on 938Live. That's a programme that teaches listeners simple Mandarin phrases which they can use in daily conversations. The second programme I'm hosting is Edutalk, which is broadcast every Thursday morning. It's a twenty minute talkshow that deals with education issues.
I) You are extremely good at both languages. How did you manage to do that?
J: Because I paid attention in classes. Haha! Well, seriously, for my English, I think it's because I read quite a bit when I was young. Also, my family speaks English. As for my Mandarin, I think I picked it up from watching television programmes or movies. And of course, I have friends who speak either English or Mandarin, so depending on whom I speak to, I use either English or Mandarin. In that way, I get lots of practice. In terms of conversations, I'm quite comfortable with both languages. However, in terms of writing, my English is better.
I) Any plans for the future?
J: You never know what the future holds so I try not to plan too far ahead. But I do have short term plans. These include my travel plans for the year. Haha. For instance, I'm considering Xinjiang or Switzerland as my next travel destinations. I also have plans to brush up on my Spanish but then again, that was last year's plans. Haha!
I) Wow, you can even speak Spanish! What do you think is the most important value that AJC has instilled in you?
J: Well, it's very hard to pinpoint a single most important value because every experience has made me what I am today. But one of the most important values that I learnt in AJC is time management. When I was a student councillor, I had to balance my schoolwork with the demands of being a student councillor. While I still do need practice, I think I'm much better at prioritizing my time now. Knowing how to manage my time was extremely crucial during my university days when I had to balance my studies with my extra-curricular activities as well as my radio work.
Jeremy is a very enthusiastic and passionate broadcast journalist. Always keen to try new things, his keenness to learn and to always experience new things has given him many opportunities. The AJCAA wishes Jeremy all the best in his future endeavours and may he bring AJC to greater heights!
Interview conducted by: Ng Gek Hong Peggy.
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