My story takes us back ten years to the time I joined CIS as a grade 9 student. I moved from South Korea pretty much on my own as there was only one family member in Singapore with me and I was under guardianship. But clearly, that didn't stop me from enjoying my time there! However the excitement took a dark turn as I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia during the first semester of grade 12, and had to go back to Korea to seek treatment.

I remained hospitalised for two years ... thankfully I was still able to graduate from CIS in 2014, as I had completed the compulsory English and maths classes in my first grade 12 semester.

What do you do now?

Once cured and freshly graduated, I decided to come back to Singapore to study Hotel Management at the Management Development Institute of Singapore, via the Sunderland programme. The bachelor degree lasted two and a half years, after which I pursued an internship as a concierge in the W Hotel Singapore. I then returned to Korea for a few months, to spend some time with my family.

At that point, I was a bit unsure about what I wanted to do, or what I actually enjoyed doing. I did like working as a concierge at the W Hotel, but I didn't enjoy the shifts - this is tiring and it takes a toll on your social life. So, while I was in Korea, I started looking for other jobs. The opportunity to work as an agent presented itself. I was working part time for the Singapore Education Fair in Seoul, and got offered the agent job. Now, my responsibilities are to recruit Korean students and help them find - and move to - international schools in Singapore like CIS.

What is the favorite part of your job?

Well, I love to chat, and this is what I get to do all day. I meet at least two families per day and I am constantly on the phone! I can tell that prospective students like to hear my story, and parents tend to trust me as quite a number of Korean students come to Singapore without their families, just like I did. So being able to establish trust with them and their families is a must.
Working as an agent also helped me improve my writing skills as part of my job is blogging for the company's website, where I share my personal experiences about the great few years spent in Singapore.

What are your favorite memories about CIS?

I used to be shy, but the welcoming and friendly environment of CIS helped me overcome this ... I actually became very chatty! That's why I have many friends from CIS, even though my English wasn't the best. I am still in touch with my best friends from CIS. I remember the fun times we had in the soccer, basketball and rugby team - I was a very sporty guy before I fell sick, and the wide range of sports at CIS allowed me to mingle with other international students.
I was also part of the music orchestra, where I played the flute. Oh and not to forget my first girlfriend!

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I would love to continue doing what I do now, or at least continue working in the same area of expertise. This is a perfect mix of my passions: exchanging with others and travelling. Once I get married and have kids, I might consider moving back to Singapore as I think it would be great for my kids to experience international education like I did. Also, it's not too far from Korea. I have considered moving to Australia but the distance made me change my mind. I would like to keep travelling too. I was very happy to travel to Europe with my father this year.