Interview with Katharine Xin Yi Tay

1. Which year did you join KTJ, and when did you graduate from KTJ?

I joined KTJ in 2013, and I graduated in 2020.

2. Which house were you in?

I was in the House of Dragons (Irinah House <3).

3. What do you remember most about KTJ?

Wow, to be honest, I don’t know where to start. There are so many, actually. I think the most vivid one was when Irinah won house singing in 2017. I remember holding my senior’s hand so tight that our knuckles turned white, and when Irinah was announced the winner, everyone erupted into cheers and screams, those screams were so loud it was deafening, and my ears were ringing quite a while after that.

On a quieter note, I remember taking evening walks with my friends after dinner. We would walk down the dining hall to the asphalt road and take the long way, past the swimming pool, main field, admin block and waterfront going back to Irinah. We would talk about our day, topics in the news, and engage in friendly banter. Occasionally, we would take a detour to the top field and lie on the grass to enjoy the sunset. KTJ has the best sunset views from the top field.

4. Can you tell us about your educational journey after KTJ?

After I KTJ, I studied at the University of Nottingham Malaysia, and I graduated from there with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences.

5. If you had to go back and redo your high school (KTJ) experience from scratch, what would you change and why?

I would have wished to be able to live out the rest of my Upper Sixth life in 2020. As Covid-19 hit, we were in lockdown since March 2020, if I remember correctly. Everything transitioned to be online, eventually we didn’t take our A-Level exams, and our graduation was online as well. If I had to redo it, I wish that I could have had a “real” goodbye with all my friends and teachers.

6. What do you do now (work)?

I am now a Maths teacher in KTJ!

7. What did you learn from KTJ that is most applicable to your current position?

My student life in KTJ was vibrant and diverse, there were so many co-curricular activities, house events, and leadership opportunities woven into my school life. I learned the importance of creating an environment where students not only feel supported academically, but also socially and emotionally as well. KTJ is also a very inclusive and diverse community, and being a part of it has taught me the value of cultural sensitivity and respect. Through experiences like international days, cultural celebrations, and mixed house activities, I learned how to foster belonging and celebrate everyone’s differences, and has directly shaped the way I build relationships with students and colleagues in my current role. Living a boarding life at KTJ also showed me the importance of building strong pastoral relationships. I learnt how to be independent, responsible, and to value mutual respect. These are lessons that I carry into my current role when I teach, and support students’ overall well-being.

8. Who should we feature next in our KTJ Community?

You should feature Bryan Ng Boon Han, class of 2020, who is now a research assistant at Guy’s Hospital, United Kingdom. He previously studied a BSc Medical Bioscience at Imperial College of London, then furthered his studies with a Master's in Translational Cancer Medicine at King’s College London. His research mainly focuses on breast cancer.