For her excellent academic and CCA records, Pattarin was named winner of the All-Rounder Award for 2003

Being Cosmopolitan
An All-Round Thai

"What is your traditional wedding like?" — a question that Pattarin Kusolpalin loves to throw at her classmates, for she believes that the rituals surrounding a marriage in any community is a window to its culture. Of course she's more than happy to share her knowledge of Thai customs should anyone be interested, said the cheerful lass from Bangkok who had little exposure to foreign students back home and was fascinated with the diversity of cultures in TP.

Having spent two years studying for her O levels in Singapore before she joined TP to study Electronics with her elder brother, Pattarin had no problem adjusting to poly life here. After all, according to the outstanding student from Thailand, it's easy to blend in on a cosmopolitan campus like TP although the presence of large numbers of international students meant greater competition.

"Most of the international students are very hardworking," observed Pattarin. "They're top students back in their own countries and they're always well-prepared for tutorials. That kind of peer pressure spurred me on to work harder."

And work hard she did, not just in the labs or library but also in a seemingly endless list of campus activities such as the Freshmen Orientation, Robo Grand Prix and the TP Arts Festival where she played her part either as an event official, performer or emcee of the event. The soft-spoken girl was also leader of the TP women's soccer team, a sport which Thais take great pride in. "By being involved in many campus activities, I learnt to take responsibility and improve my inter-personal skills and leadership qualities," said Pattarin. "I'm certainly more mature than before I joined TP."

Drawn to Singapore by its westernised yet traditional outlook, the final year student who gave up a place in Victoria JC to join TP is now all ready to hit the local industry as her course "has equipped her with the analytical skills to look at problems from different perspectives and find the right solutions". With the humility typical of a Thai, she said: "I am what I am now because TP has given me lots of opportunities to grow."

More articles on Being Cosmopolitan:
Travel is this Greek's Business
A Mauritian's Passion for Fashion

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