NCP Scholar brings her family!

University of the Sunshine Coast student Jessica Whyman moved to Malaysia in July with her husband and two children on the first leg of her New Colombo Plan Scholarship. A Bachelor of Creative Industries student, Jessica is currently interning with Mattel Southeast Asia in their marketing department- primarily assisting in facilitating community events. Of note, Jessica has working with BookExcess and designer Melinda Looi on an outreach project with local orphanages where she acted as a ‘book fairy’ reading and singing songs to the children and on large shopping center concourse events promoting Hot Wheel and Barbie brands. On the weekend, Jessica has been travelling with her family exploring Malaysia- enjoying the museums, street art, numerous art galleries and jungles. Reflecting on her time so far, Jessica comments her favorite part of Malaysia has to be “the people that we have met- from the people I have worked with to people in our condo and those we have met on the street- everyone has been so friendly and welcoming. People have shared their culture, their language and their food (which we love) with so much pride and joy that we cannot help but fall in love with Malaysia”.

In March 2024 Jessica will be undertaking fulltime language studies and cultural emersion with the University of Malaya for four weeks before moving onto Japan for 13 months. While in Japan, Jessica will be travelling to Yamanashi, Hokkaido and Kyoto where she will be studying at the International College of Liberal Arts and then Doshisha University, with a focus on cultural studies and international business, as well as completing three months language training and cultural emersion.