As a core program of the Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI), the Impact Lab Course challenges students to critically question the world around them, and innovate for a better tomorrow. While it creates a safe environment for students to learn 21st Century Skills, the Impact Lab Course also supports our partner companies by connecting them with creative young minds who would like to contribute to the social impact space.
We recently spoke with Hyein Yoon, who is a marketing intern at Soap Cycling for the 2022 Spring semester. Read the interview to learn more about how Impact Lab gives Hyein the opportunity to work with a culturally diverse workforce, which is something she did not experience in her previous internships.
Can you give us a brief introduction about yourself? Which year are you in and what are you studying? What do you usually do to relax or self-care?
My name is Hyein Yoon, I’m a senior year student majoring in Psychology and Marketing at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Just like others, I love watching Netflix series. I also read books at home these days as I can’t go out of the hall, and I talk with my friends through Zoom to spend time with them.
Before the pandemic, I used to go out and explore Hong Kong as a non-local student. I used to explore famous tourist spots and local restaurants in Hong Kong such as the Star Ferry, night markets, and amusement parks. Also, I used to ride the tram and explore the city whilst taking time-lapse videos.
Why did you apply to Soap Cycling? What is unique about it?
I think Soap Cycling is unique because they try to touch on different social issues such as waste reduction, bridging the gap between the elderly and youth, and empowering and employing people in disadvantaged groups.
Tell us about your experience at Impact Lab thus far. What are your roles and responsibilities?
I’m the marketing intern at Soap Cycling and I publish social media content every week.
I promote the soaps made by ethnic minorities, the elderly, and the youth – the beneficiaries of Soap Cycling’s MEY Program. I also help Soap Cycling to look for more donors, raise funds for disadvantaged groups, and publish interesting posts such as personality tests to engage more people.
We usually use Instagram and Facebook. We post things that align with the company’s goal and analyze the social media pages to gain insight every month. On top of that, I’ve started working on a pitch document to attract more donors.
You’ve mentioned that you are currently working on a pitch document. Have you done any fundraising work before? How do you find the fundraising work right now and what are the processes you are going through to fundraise for the disadvantaged groups?
In my high school, I have done fundraising for women who cannot afford sanitary napkins. I organised a school fest with my classmates and the entrance fees were used to purchase a sanitary napkin machine. I have also made appointments and visited some corporations to ask for funds
At Soap Cycling, I am not directly asking for funds but I am contributing to the pitch document. The purpose of the document is to inform interested corporations or individuals about the workshop activities that Soap Cycling is offering. This will not only help Soap Cycling to support disadvantaged groups but also help to spread awareness of the work of Soap Cycling.
What is your one major takeaway from your Impact Lab experience? If you had previous internship experiences, how is Impact Lab different from them?
I think the major one is communication. I have learned communication skills. I have been working with people from different cultural backgrounds, especially the marketing team. We have interns from all different backgrounds. Also, I have lived in foreign countries for around seven years but this is my first time working in a foreign country so I was a bit worried at first. However, I’ve continuously learned to communicate and help each other when they are in need.
I had an internship in the summer of 2020 in my home country, Korea. Impact Lab is different as it offers an environment of cultural diversity that was lacking in my previous internship. Impact Lab also gives me more chances to work more closely with supervisors.
How has this experience benefited your personal growth? Has it influenced your way of thinking about creating social impact, whether personally or through your future work?
Now I’m very confident that I can adapt to any work culture. I’m also actively learning Chinese and Cantonese to communicate better with the locals. By working with Soap Cycling, I’ve learned how NGOs are putting in a lot of effort to create social impact. I’ve realized that they need a lot of support to do every activity.
If you could solve one world problem/issue, what would it be? Why?
I would say climate change. Even if we solve different social issues, there would be no point if we don’t have the planet. Some parts of the world such as the Maldives are seriously affected by this issue. It’s scary that we don’t know the full impact of climate change.
As an individual, I try to reduce my carbon footprint in my daily life. For instance, I try to consume environmentally friendly products, and I try to walk instead of taking public transport, if possible. My actions look seemingly insignificant when compared to the activities that are done by different companies or governmental and non-governmental parties. However, I still believe that those seemingly unimportant actions of individuals can add up and bring huge changes.
What is the main thing that you have learned from the pandemic so far?
With the restrictions, I just stayed at home as I love spending time at home. The main thing I learned from the pandemic is the importance of personal hygiene such as washing our hands, wearing masks, and ventilating whenever needed. I’ve also learned the importance of daily life and what I had before. I’ve learned to appreciate everything that I have as I now know that none of it is granted.
Who do you think should take the Impact Lab Course?
I think anyone who loves helping others and wants to develop their skills should take the Impact Lab Course. As the students will have to continuously communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds as a team (including peer interns, supervisors, and colleagues), they will be able to develop their communication skills. They will also know how to appreciate everyone’s ideas and incorporate them to benefit the organization. Also, those who want to challenge themselves and explore their career paths should take the Impact Lab Course!
What is your advice for future Impact Lab students?
Be responsible as you are representing the company. Depending on your actions, a lot of people will be affected. Also, try to manage your time well, because if you have a lot of courses, you will face hardships during the internship, which requires a lot of time.
*Acknowledgment: This interview was conducted and written by Haewon Cho, an Impact Lab intern of the FSI Communications and Marketing team.
