Meet Carren Khor Carren Khor , a Business Administration student at NUS, majoring in Real Estate, Vice President of NUS-SMC, and now a core member for SMC Youth Leadership Committee.
Originally from Penang, Carren came to Singapore without a fixed plan—only a clear intention: to step out of her comfort zone and grow in a new environment.
Her journey reflects a simple but powerful belief:
Growth doesn’t come from being ready—it comes from taking action.
Knowing about Carren Khor
I tend to learn by saying yes first, and figuring things out later. That’s how I ended up in Singapore.
I’m Carren, and I’m from Penang. I came here for university without a very clear plan—just knowing I didn’t want to stay in the same environment.
I’m currently studying Business Administration at NUS, majoring in Real Estate. But most of my growth didn’t come from getting things right. It came from taking on things I wasn’t fully ready for, and learning along the way.
That’s also how my journey with SMC began. I first joined NUS-SMC as Director of Publicity, focusing on content and communications. Over time, as I became more involved in the community and its initiatives, I took on greater responsibility and eventually stepped into the role of Vice President.
What motivated you to join SMC as a student volunteer?
I was introduced to SMC through my friend Lin Jing, who was starting NUS-SMC and invited me to get involved. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what SMC was about, so I joined my first hike out of curiosity. That experience, featuring Mr. André Andonian Andre Andonian (Chairman, Emeritus North Asia, McKinsey & Company Chair of Asia Pacific, Flagship Pioneering), completely shifted my perspective. What stood out was the setting—you’re walking alongside experienced industry leaders in a relaxed, informal environment, having conversations that would otherwise feel out of reach. At that point, I wasn’t very confident engaging with professionals. SMC provided a structured yet low-pressure environment for me to begin. I saw it as a practical way to build my confidence over time, which led me to join NUS-SMC as an EXCO—simply because it felt like the right step forward.
Can you share a moment in SMC that significantly shaped your confidence or mindset?
Taking on the role of Director of Publicity at NUS-SMC was a key turning point for me. While I had prior leadership experience in Malaysia, transitioning to Singapore meant navigating a new environment, different communication styles, and unfamiliar team dynamics. Stepping into a leadership role early in my second year felt uncertain, and I wasn’t fully confident managing a team in this new context. However, the trust placed in me by Lin Jing and Wilfred pushed me to step up and take ownership. Through that experience, I learned that confidence is built through execution—by making decisions, learning from the outcomes, and continuously improving. It’s a mindset that has stayed with me well beyond my time in SMC.
What is one skill or insight you gained through SMC that you wouldn’t have learned in a classroom?
One key skill is the ability to engage meaningfully with professionals. This goes beyond basic communication, it’s about asking relevant questions, listening actively, and responding with clarity and respect for their time and experience. Through repeated interactions during hikes and events, I became more comfortable navigating these conversations. Over time, I learned how to position my thoughts more clearly and extract insights more effectively. It’s a skill that is rarely taught formally, but highly valuable in both professional and real-world settings. I’m still far from mastering it, but SMC gave me the space to practise it in a real, low-pressure environment.
How has working with mentors or senior professionals through SMC influenced your growth or decision-making?
Working with mentors has shaped how I approach both decisions and execution.
A defining experience for me was being involved in an interview project with Mr. Piyush Gupta Piyush Gupta , where I was guided by Yulia (蒋钰), a professional financial news reporter at CNBC. What stood out during the process was the level of structure and thought behind how the interview was prepared—from framing questions to managing the flow of conversation.
Throughout the project, I received clear and practical feedback from Yulia, which helped my team refine both the content and delivery. It gave me a better understanding of how much intention goes into effective communication.
Although I wasn’t leading the interview itself, reviewing and editing the footage gave me a different perspective. Observing how both the interviewer and interviewee communicated—the clarity, pacing, and intent—was highly instructive, and it has influenced how I approach conversations today.
Beyond this project, working with mentors like Tracy Chen (branding management) Tracy Chen , Danny Seetoh Danny SeeToh (network-building), and our founder Dr. David Ong Dr. David Ong has reinforced the importance of combining vision with execution. Each of them brings a different perspective, and being exposed to that range has shaped how I think about problems and decisions more broadly.
The key takeaway for me is this: make decisions thoughtfully, act decisively, and take ownership of the outcome.
What was your first leadership responsibility in SMC, and what did it teach you about leadership?
My first leadership role was Director of Publicity for NUS-SMC. One key lesson was the importance of building team cohesion before focusing purely on output. Early on, I prioritised scaling the team to meet increasing demands, especially during peak periods.
However, rapid recruitment led to inconsistencies in team dynamics and reduced cohesion. When the workload later stabilised, it also resulted in redundancy.
This experience taught me to be more deliberate in manpower planning—balancing capacity with sustainability—and to focus on building a strong, aligned core team rather than simply expanding numbers.
What was the most challenging part of your journey in SMC, and how did you overcome it?
Balancing academic commitments with leadership responsibilities was the main challenge. Initially, I tried to manage everything independently, which was not sustainable. Over time, I learned to plan more effectively and, more importantly, to rely on the team. SMC brings together individuals with diverse strengths. By delegating and asking for help, not only was the workload more manageable, but it also became an opportunity to learn from others’ approaches and perspectives.
Has your experience in SMC influenced your career aspirations or future plans? In what way?
Yes, significantly.
SMC exposed me to career paths I wouldn’t have considered otherwise. Through the mentorship programme, I learned from my mentor, Qian Ning Qianning Zhang , who came from an architecture background into entrepreneurship, expanding her footprints across different countries, really shifted how I see things.
Hearing her experiences made me realise that careers don’t have to follow a straight line. A lot of growth comes from trying different paths and being open to change.
Since then, I’ve become much more open to exploring opportunities, instead of feeling like I need to follow a fixed route.
What would you say to a student who is considering joining SMC but isn’t sure yet?
Treat it as an opportunity to expand your perspective. SMC exposes you to people, ideas, and experiences that are difficult to access in a typical university setting. Over time, that exposure compounds, it shapes how you think, how you communicate, and how you approach opportunities.
If you could give advice to your pre-SMC self, what would you say?
Start before you feel ready. Clarity and confidence come from action, not from waiting until everything is figured out.
Written by Carren Khor
About SMC Youth Leadership Track
Operating as a student-led, mentor-supported organisation on a fully volunteer basis, SMC is actively run and operated by students, who take ownership of programme execution, community initiatives, and day-to-day operations under mentor guidance.
The SMC Youth Leadership Track is a structured programme designed to develop globally ready, values-anchored youth leaders in preparation for Singapore’s next phase of development (SG100).
The programme follows a three-tier progression pathway—Student Volunteer, Student Leader, and Youth Leadership Committee— enabling youth to grow from contributors into leaders and mentors within SMC’s ecosystem.
Interested in joining SMC as a student volunteer? Send your resume to smccareers8@gmail.com
Media Contact:
Singapore Mentorship Committee (SMC)
Email: singaporementorshipcommittee@gmail.com
Website: https://www.smcmentorship.org/