GIS Alumni Post: Fireside Chat with IN-Q
Garden International School (GIS) Kuala Lumpur Alumni Relations reached out asking if I had exciting news/updates to share and the timing was perfect because I recently did an Amazon Fishbowl (Fireside Chat) with IN-Q. Original article here and c/p below. IN-Q has a great message and his book is a lot of fun.
ALUMNI JASON YOONG’S AMAZON FIRESIDE CHAT WITH SLAM POET IN-Q!
July 13, 2020
Jason Yoong, 2006 GIS Alumni and graduate of the University of Southern California, recently conducted one of Amazon’s Fireside Chats, with none other than IN-Q (American Slam Poetry Champion, Oprah’s SuperSoul 100 Trailblazer and author of ‘Inquire Within.’)
Here in the GIS Alumni office, we find ourselves drawn to IN-Q’s messages, which are powerful, providing words of encouragement particularly in the challenging times that we currently find ourselves in. Through his poetry, IN-Q explores themes of curiosity, learning and transformation. We found IN-Q’s words in both the poetry performances, as well as the moderated chat with Jason, particularly inspiring, and invite you to enjoy them for yourselves by clicking here.
Having graduated from the prestigious American university with distinction in Pre-Law & Communications and Media Studies, Jason now works at Amazon in Seattle, which afforded him this unique opportunity.
Here is what Jason said about his experience of working at Amazon:
What drives you to get involved with these types of projects?
‘Learn and Be Curious’ is one of our Amazon Leadership Principles. We believe that ‘leaders are never done learning, and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them.’ Engaging in Fireside Chats helps me develop this Leadership Principle and contribute to our unique culture.
Which other initiatives have you been involved in?
I am an ‘Alexa Next Stage, Powered by Techstars’ mentor, and we recently welcomed a new class of startups who are innovating with voice technology. I am thrilled to see what this class invents!
Back in January 2018, I did another fun Fireside Chat with Alexis Ohanian (Co-founder of Reddit) at our Amazon Seattle HQ. We talked about his career, life lessons, and his best-selling book. Click here to watch this Fireside Chat.
What advice would you give to current students at GIS?
Be willing to experiment and take risks. Identify your superpower and keep developing it.
What fantastic advice, Jason. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
Do you have words of wisdom for our current students, or perhaps a story to share? We always love hearing from our GIS alumni. Do get in touch if you would like to showcase your work. You can do this via Facebook, or by emailing us at alumni@gardenschool.edu.my, because every story matters.
