PASSION FOR CHILDREN: UCSI Psychology student Suzanne Ling teaching English to Burmese refugee children.

ALL SMILES: UCSI Mass Communication student Chai Mei Kee (second from right) posing for a group shot with team members after winning second place and RM4,000 in the MyKRIS Inaugural National Short Video Contest.

Legendary Apple CEO Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” 

This quote rings true for students of UCSI University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts; a place where passion – and enthusiasm – go hand in hand. 

Heart of gold 

At 15, Suzanne Ling Sook Shian had an encounter with a three-year-old girl with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), an illness of the nervous system. Simply by showing off her pink nails to the child after realising that the girl was garbed in pink from head to toe, Suzanne formed a bond with her. 

It was through this simple act that led Suzanne to realise then that she had found her true calling: To be a psychotherapist specialising in therapy for children with special needs. 

Now, Suzanne is a second-year student reading the BA (Hons) Psychology at the Faculty and she is grateful for the myriad experiences – gained from events, classes and assignments – that have shaped her into the person she is today. 

Apart from equipping students with a broad understanding of the different specialisations in Psychology – from cognitive psychology to cross-cultural psychology, the programme also exposes them to more personalised assignments to ensure they further develop their skill in critical thinking. 

The elective course on Human Sexuality, for example, addresses this. From defining sexual orientation and gender identity to discussing different values and beliefs about sexuality across cultures, the course challenges students to think and explain their reasoning. 

Nothing is left to chance and this sees students doing the same in other courses such as Life Span Development and Sociology of the Family, which require them to explore and study the life span of people close to them and family dynamics. 

Through these unique courses, students gain deeper insight into different applications and theories, and Suzanne adds that they provide her with a solid foundation for further studies at the master’s level. 

“For me, I am keen to venture into clinical psychology and learn how to treat children with serious disorders like depression, schizophrenia and autism,” she shares. 

“Most of the time, medication alone is not enough. In our lectures, we learned that therapy is equally important and that treatment should be administered via a dual-pronged approach, with both meds and therapy.” 

“However, such therapy is not common in Malaysia and can be very expensive. I really hope to make therapy a bit more accessible for children who need it.” 

Notably, development of professional knowledge and expertise is an integral part of the culture at the Faculty but more important is the passion cultivated in its student community. 

This is evident even beyond the classroom and Suzanne is a shining testament to this. 

As the president of UCSI Scholars' Club (U-SchoS) that co-founded a community project known as ‘Hands of Hope’ at the University, Suzanne is no stranger to spending time with people – especially children – of various ages and ethnic backgrounds. 

From teaching kids at refugee centres and a special needs school to using group play therapy for a group of troubled children from broken homes, she has acquired many real-life experiences that give her an added edge in her studies. 

“I find these projects really relevant to what I’m studying, especially when the topics revolve around children. I’ve spent so much time with them that I can understand them better than most of my peers and why they behave a certain way,” Suzanne enthuses. \ 

“It’s been interesting to see how children express themselves and (I must say that) these experiences have all been very eye-opening.”

Shooting for the stars 

Prodigious students like Suzanne who are keen on honing their craft abound in the Faculty and this is reflected in the Faculty’s recent win in the MyKRIS Inaugural National Short Video Contest. 

Bagging second place and RM4,000 for their efforts, a team of six Mass Communication students – majoring in film and TV – edged out over 230 competitors from various private universities and colleges across Malaysia. 

Themed, ‘Youth Creativity Prevails’, the contest tasked participants with producing a short video or digital animation clip related to MyKRIS’ business of high-speed broadband and managed service technologies. 

The team – represented by Chai Mei Kee, Ng Pui Lin, Chin Jing Ru, Tan Joe Yee, Quinn Kalindi Amalore and Della Devina – created a 60-second corporate video for MyKRIS that stood out from other themed entries like documentaries and animation. 

“We were excited about the win because it was our first time joining a video competition, which provided us with a rare opportunity to apply what we learned in class,” says Mei Kee. 

“We already learned how to do scriptwriting, storyboard creation and actual production in class. These definitely helped us with the competition.” 

Such glowing testimonies successfully illustrate the Faculty’s strong commitment to intellectual rigour and creativity. 

A place where individual talents are honed, personal growth is stimulated and creative expression is encouraged, the Faculty continues to inspire students to work at the highest levels. 

To find out more about UCSI University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts programmes, contact us at 03-91018882 or email www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my/onlineenquiry. You can also drop by our Open Day from 7 – 8 March 2015 (9am – 5pm).