Ms Ariana Bte Selamat might be a familiar face to some of us who have been to the SOTA Administration Office. From handling admission-related matters to assisting with various requests, she is part of an important team which ensures the smooth running of student affairs' functions at SOTA. Read on as she shares more about her role.

Share about yourself and your work in SOTA.

Students will know us as the ladies at the reception counter in the Administration Office who process their short-term absence from school requests, lift access, check-ins at the sickbay, first aid, and more recently, the place to request for masks if their masks are spoiled. Besides the reception counter, the Office of Student Affairs team is also in charge of student matters such as admission, printing of result slips, school fees, bursaries, scholarships and student development overseas trips. My main role is handling student admission matters.

What do you enjoy about working in SOTA?

I like the working space in SOTA. In addition to our individual work desks, there are many meeting rooms (even the pantry has good corners!) that we can use. When I'm feeling stuck at work, going to these spaces help to clear my mind. The corporate staff at SOTA is one big team that supports the school. I have met amazing people here and made some lifelong friends. I find great satisfaction in the small things, such as being able to identify students by name when they are approaching the reception counter. As I am involved in planning and organising the yearly Talent Academy, successfully completing the admission exercise with teachers, staff is both challenging and fulfilling for me.

Finally, share with us a memorable incident or interesting experience you've had at SOTA.

I joined SOTA since the days at Goodman Road and got to see the first batch of Years 1 and 2 begin their SOTA journey. One year, the monsoon season unexpectedly caused flooding on the Goodman Road campus. As it was during the term break, we came out to help shift the items to other unaffected areas. We also took the opportunity to play around in the water for a bit.

In the same year, we had to conduct the Talent Academy amidst H1N1. I remember colleagues in full protective gear, conducting the temperature checks of candidates coming into the school. The weather was hot and humid, but we kept our spirits up and cheered on the candidates who were understandably nervous about the auditions.

Did you know?
One of Ms Ariana's favourite food in the canteen is the curry puff!
"When I buy makcik's epok epok (curry puff) at the canteen, I will ask her to put some sambal as well. It's delicious. Try it the next time you buy!"