“Familiar strangers” is how Ms. Wang Lin, a Master’s student at AIT
describes a lot of AITians. “You see them all the time, but sometimes
you do not get a chance to meet them,” she says. Born out of this need
to increase familiarity among the student community and foster closer
ties, Wang decided to create a feature story on AIT students.
Her enthusiasm prompted the AIT Student Union (SU) to appoint her as
the Chairperson of its Media Committee. And armed with a notebook and
an enthusiasm of a hack, she embarked on her journey of discovery. The
result is what she calls, “Your AIT Story,” where she regularly
profiles AIT students.
The motivation to feature fellow students comes from a desire to
promote a better understanding of each other. Students are asked about
what they did before coming to AIT, what they are doing now, and what
they plan to do in the future. Wang feels that this is how students can
discover the true diversity on campus. It also helps in an appreciation
of each other’s culture, since, during the course of the interview,
students are asked to share something special from their hometown, be
it a local speciality, festival or a tourist site.
Wang comes from China, but has worked in Singapore. She then meandered
into Thailand working for an NGO, and when she heard Mr. Mechai
Viravaidya, Chairperson of the Population and Community Development
Association (PDA) deliver the graduation speech at AIT, she decided
that she would pursue studies at AIT.
Her experience in Singapore, where she interviewed people via email,
and shared their stories via the company blog has honed her
professional interviewing and writing skills. She recalls interviewing
a documentary producer who travelled around the world for six years
interacting with people, ranging from surfers on Brazilian beaches to
rickshaw pullers in Indian slums. At AIT, off course, you do not have
to travel all over the world to meet people from different cultures.
They thrive within the AIT campus, and all you need to do is to
discover them.
Your AIT Story can be read at this link: http://youraitstory.tumblr.com/
and at Facebook at this link: https://www.facebook.com/YourAitStory.
Screenshots of the first six
interview blogs of Your AIT Story.