Behind Will & Well | From An Intern’s Perspective

So, how do you see yourself contributing to Will & Well?

“Um…writing blog posts?” *smiles awkwardly*

Other things were said at my first meeting with Elisa (don’t worry, definitely more than just blog posts), but it seems rather fitting to end my 3-month long internship stint at Will & Well with a task to – you guessed it – write a blog post. Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Will & Well that makes it so good at making a difference? Well, I did and along with my fellow intern buddies, Sheila and Ee Sing, wanted to be part of that difference.

Going back to that first meeting, I think I can safely say that all of us, interns and Elisa included, weren’t sure how the team was going to come together and what our different roles would be. Countless Zoom sessions and rare but treasured (safely distanced) in-person meetings at the studio later, we can now confidently say that every member had found her unique place in the team where she could best add value. As Elisa and her team had learnt from previous experience, identifying one’s strengths quickly was important to ensure that everyone could contribute effectively. Throughout our internship journey, we played to our strengths, discovered new ones, and supported one another through the learning process.

Sheila – The Hands-On One

As our resident studio representative, Sheila could always be found hard at work using the sewing or (spoiler alert!) embroidery machine. Majoring in fashion design, her technical skills came in handy to support Elisa with prototype-making as well as in exploring different uses of textile for new projects. She was also able to provide useful insights during design meetings and technical advice to the team when needed with her knowledge in fashion.

Sheila (left) and Elisa (right) wearing masks and taking a selfie together.

In addition to supporting design-related projects, she readily contributed ideas for other ones and even TikTok videos. Having a knack for freely saying what’s on her mind, her casual remarks that usually catch us off guard coupled with a heart that means absolutely no harm never fail to bring much laughter to the team!

Ee Sing – The Multitalented One

One thing that struck us about Ee Sing was that she has a wide array of interests ranging from creative work to her major in law, which meant that she was game to and capable of taking on any task that was assigned to her. Be it in design, education, operations, or even TikToks, she was able to learn quickly and provide valuable support. Her proposals reflected her thoughtfulness and consideration of potential solutions, helping to push things forward.

Ee Sing posing in front of a shop along Haji Lane.

Verbally expressive, she could communicate well with both clients and the rest of the team. Her constant desire to learn in every situation also made Elisa realise that she should be conscious of how she leads as a potential role model – something that Elisa appreciates. Ee Sing has definitely made significant contributions in shaping Will & Well!

Janessa – The Writer

As you would have probably guessed by now, I mainly took charge of writing-related tasks. While crafting various works such as an employee handbook and copies for social media, I enjoyed having the opportunity to dive deep into learning what Will & Well was built on and strived to express that through my writing. I was also trusted to keep things organised.

Being a psychology major, I was given opportunities to think deeply about how Will & Well could meet community needs as well as to put my research skills to use. Having no prior background in fashion, I often sought advice from my more knowledgeable team members while offering my own skills in areas that they needed support in. It truly was an interesting learning process of exploring things beyond my comfort zone.

A group photo of the team in the office. From left: Cheryl, Sheila, Ee Sing, Janessa, and Elisa.

What Makes A Team?

Looking back, it’s fascinating to see how individuals of different backgrounds were able to come together as team members who complemented one another. Leading the Will & Well team were passionate people whose drive for social innovation helped us stay on the same page. Moreover, a simple question that was asked at every debrief session – “How can we support you?” – conveyed a mutual understanding that we were all here to support one another which made it easy to celebrate our strengths and be unafraid to try new things. It’s this same value of care that goes into every Will & Well solution which makes those genuinely human-centric. We’re all thankful for the opportunity to have been part of Will & Well, and for the experiences along the journey.

I learnt that it’s not easy to make a difference alone. But together, we can make it happen.

xx,

Janessa