DECE alumni insight 1: an ECE success story by Ms. Khor Lay Bee

A group of DECE students undertaking the subject Planning and Organizing Early Childhood Care and Educational Settings organized a webinar topic on how to operate a kindergarten.  We have the great opportunity to invite Ms.Khor Lay Bee one of our very own DECE alumna to be guest speaker for the sharing session. The purpose of the webinar is to provide insight to SEGi DECE students on the experience on setting up and owning a kindergarten. The challenges and solutions on running an early childhood education related business. The session also encourages future ECE educators to set up kindergartens in order to provide competitive edge in the ECCE industry which in turn encourages innovation and quality improvement within the industry itself. There are around 24 students attended the webinar through SKYPE platform at 20^th October 2020 for 1 ½ hour sharing session.

Ms.Khor relates on how she was initially studied Industrial Psychology and worked in the HR department of a semiconductor company. However, overtime she felt that it wasn’t her true calling and she left the company to pursue her diploma in Early Childhood Education at SEGi College Penang. Through taking up the course she had a vision of opening her own kindergarten. Then, she started to sharing on her working experiences and also journey how it leads her to open the present kindergarten that she is operating at now. After this initial introduction, Ms Khor continued the session by answering the questions posted by the participants.  DECE students was grateful that the speaker took her time to answer quite a number of questions albeit she was busy with her kindergarten work. The questions covered a wide range of topics including practical aspects of setting up a kindergarten, her personal aspirations, and advice for future kindergarten owners.

The speaker also shared her personal part of her journey and being a mother and able to see her child studied in her own kindergarten was heartwarming experiences to see their growth development. She further shared that her assistant principal of her kindergarten is her fellow coursemate from her diploma years. As such, they have a strong relationship which has enabled Ms Khor to delegate many of her duties to her assistant principal, which in turn provides a certain amount of flexibility to her work hours. In response to a question about challenges faced in opening up her center, Ms Khor shared that the initial documentation necessary to obtain her license may have been her biggest roadblock. Ms.Khor assured the participants that although the path lies ahead will be tough, but it’s rewards will be rewarding once the individual set their minds on to achieve their goals. The webinar end with inspiration and gratitude by the DECE students for our DECE alumna to take her time sharing on her experience on operating a kindergarten.

Through the initiative by our ECE lecturer that bringing in more alumni to have more webinars to our ECE students it will inspired and enhance their learning. Knowing that as a future ECE educator they will have many opportunities and pathway lies ahead. We will have more invited DECE alumni that’s came from all walks of life and experiences to share where they journey bring them now at which will be a priceless experience to share to the students. At SEGi College Penang we belief the dreams and their possibilities is made possible as long they have their mindset towards their goals that they want to achieve. Take your journey further by joining our Diploma in Early Childhood Education programme and be part of future educator that make the difference in the profession.