Yale-NUS alumni share their experiences pursuing unconventional careers

At Yale-NUS, students have the opportunity to chart their own path, no matter what they dream of, and this enterprising spirit continues after graduation as alumni pursue diverse career interests. Evan Asava-Aree (Class of 2017), founder of peer counselling service SpeakEasy, and Gem Tan (Class of 2019), a birth and postpartum doula, share with us about their exciting, less charted paths.

Gem’s experiences at Yale-NUS were integral to her career choice as a doula, a professional companion throughout the process of birthing trained to provide emotional and physical, and informational support for parents-to-be. As an Anthropology major focusing on the anthropology of reproduction, her Capstone Project* experience studying involuntary pregnancy loss led her to a postgraduate internship with an anthropologist of midwifery, who opened her eyes to the possibility of becoming a doula. More saliently, however, Gem points out that the critical approach to society that her academic career at Yale-NUS cultivates is integral to her career.

“Anthropology taught me to pay attention to power dynamics – who has the power, and whose power has been taken away? Many don’t realise this, but birth is a power issue. Like every power issue, intersectionality is critical; the power struggle in birth is made more fraught by tensions of gender, race, socio-economic class, medical literacy etc. The awareness from being an anthropology student makes me a better doula because I see the bigger picture of someone’s birth, beyond what’s just in front of my eyes. Not only can I support a birthing couple emotionally or physically, but I can also help them put in place pathways that lead to a satisfying birth experience. Birth doesn’t have to happen like in the movies or the way a doctor would like it to go; it can be yours.”

In a residential community like Yale-NUS College, formative experiences go beyond just academics. Evan’s experiences at Yale-NUS as a peer counsellor were instrumental in inspiring SpeakEasy, a matching service for those who, in his words, “wish to find connection and relief for their pent-up feelings”, with peer supporters willing to provide that support. P.S. We Care, Yale-NUS’s volunteer peer counselling service, was what impressed upon him the importance of a safe space and community, values crucial to such a service.

“P.S. We Care was a safe space to make mistakes and learn how to be a better listener. It was also a community, and I learned how the community helped us be better listeners and support each other,” Evan shared.

“This knowledge has equipped me with the right mindset, and tools to set up SpeakEasy.”

Similarly, Gem shared that her time with the Yale-NUS Improv Troupe cultivated open-mindedness, a mindset essential to a doula career. “I never knew what my scene partner was going to throw at me; you just take it as it is and see where the path unfolds,” Gem said of her experience with Improv, “this is helpful when I meet all sorts of clients with unique histories, fears and wishes. There is no one right way to give birth, and my job is to give them information for them to make their own decisions on what’s best for them and for their baby.”

When asked about her favourite memory at her job, Gem pointed to a home birth she attended to earlier in the year, by a mother who lacked the support of a birth team in her previous births.

Gem with a client. Image provided by Gem Tan (Class of 2019).

“With this birth, it was so simple and beautiful. She had a fantastic doctor and she had us, her doulas. Her older children were just outside the bathroom she gave birth in and they were the first thing the baby opened their eyes to,” Gem recounted, “It really burned into me how empowering birth can be, if you simply let it.”

Evan also noted the fulfilling experience of running a start-up designed to support people at their most vulnerable. “In the experience of creating SpeakEasy, my favourite memory has to be listening to people tell their stories. I am constantly surprised at what people keep inside them, and learned to not jump to conclusions about people,” he said.

Both alumni encouraged others searching for jobs to be open-minded to new possibilities. Evan stressed the importance of making connections wherever one goes: “​​There is no such thing as a useless connection. Bringing that mindset to my professional life has helped me create connections across the company and uncover opportunities I would have not thought about.”

Gem, meanwhile, encouraged young Kingfishers to follow their heart, and to be mindful of their commitments.

“Be careful in what and who you say “yes” to. If you have the privilege of time, use it. I know how scary feeling direction-less after a lifetime of direction from school can be, but don’t let it drive you to accept any opportunity that comes your way. Trust your gut. And if your faint inkling is pointing you to an unconventional job, consider listening.”

*The capstone project is a year-long in-depth research study that Yale- NUS seniors embark on in their chosen major and field of study. The capstone marks the culmination of the students’ learning experience at Yale-NUS, and it very often synthesises what students learned from the curriculum, research work with professors and experiential learning opportunities such as study abroad or attachments.