Introduction Email
Subject: Introduction email
Dear Professor Blackstone,
My name is Lyka, and I am from your critical thinking and communication class. I am a recent graduate from Singapore Polytechnic's civil engineering program and I am writing this email to introduce myself to you.
As an immigrant, my parents were very clear and emphasized how hard they worked to be able to bring my siblings and me here. They worked hard and gave me the opportunities that they never had. Their sacrifices, along with the kindness and support that my family has received from others throughout my upbringing, have shaped my belief in the importance of giving back.
Moving to a new country has made me more appreciative of what I have and because of this I am committed to finding meaningful ways I can contribute back to society. I believe that by growing up as an immigrant I have developed resilience and adaptability and it has driven my commitment to giving back and that is what makes me unique. For me, that means applying my technical abilities to do computations and problem-solving skills to make a tangible impact and I can do that by being part of the engineering sector, where I hope I can improve infrastructure to the benefit of the community that has helped shape me.
In addition to these personal values, I’ve also come to recognize areas where I can further grow, particularly in my communication skills. I believe that one of my communication strengths is my ability to express my opinions confidently. I feel comfortable engaging in discussions with my peers or with people of similar age and experience as me. However, during my internship in the last year of my polytechnic education, I realized that I found it hard to communicate with senior colleagues or any individuals with higher authority than me. Although I understood and recognized the importance of asking questions and using this experience to further my knowledge, I couldn't help but be afraid to ask questions or voice out my thoughts for fear that I might reveal my lack of knowledge and experience.
To address this, one of my key goals in this module is to take more initiative and take on a more authoritative role when communicating. I believe that by developing this skill now, I would feel more comfortable speaking where hierarchy is involved. Another goal I would like to have is to improve my pacing and composure while presenting. Although I believe that I can project and articulate ideas clearly, I find myself speaking too fast which affects my ability to stay calm and relaxed.
Thank you for taking the time to read this email and I look forward to learning more from you this semester.
Sincerely,
Lyka
Edited: 7/2/2025
Read Siqi, Jeremiah, and Nurins Letter
Dear Lyka, I believe that in the first paragraph, you could rephrase "that skillset is my technical skill in computations and my ability to problem-solve" to "my technical skill in computations and ability to problem-solve will prove useful in supporting my goal"
ReplyDeletePerhaps, cut short on the "I believe".
For the second paragraph, perhaps you can rephrase it, and avoid the usage of however as you are still describing your strengths in communication.
Also think that you can separate your education background and your uniqueness into 2 paragraphs, allowing you to go more in-depth on both.
Please take my thoughts with a pinch of salt, I believe that everyone has a different writing style and the way you write is how you wish to express yourself, all the best!
Dear Jeremiah,
DeleteThank you so much for the response and I will take your opinions in account. In my opinion my usage of "I believe" makes my letter seem more personal and heartfelt but I understand how it may seem excessive.Regardless you have great insight and I am grateful for the constructive criticism because I know I can only improve from here.
Regards,
Lyka
Hi Lyka,
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your background and passion for using your skills to give back to the community. It’s inspiring to see how committed you are to making a positive impact. Looking forward to getting to know you better!
Best,
Siqi
Dear Siqi,
DeleteThank you so much for taking the time to read and write this comment. I too am looking forward to see you this semester.
Sincerely,
Lyka
Dear Lyka
ReplyDeleteYour email effectively introduces your background and communication goals. Your commitment to using your skills for community betterment is inspiring. Additionally, your candidness about your challenges with senior colleagues is commendable. It’s clear that you are proactive about personal and professional growth. Looking forward to seeing your development this semester!
Regards
Elizabeth
Dear Elizabeth,
DeleteThank you for the response! I am glad that by sharing my story I was able to touch your heart and inspire you. I too am excited about seeing more of you this semester.
Regards,
Lyka
Dear Khad,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for responding to my letter. I truly empathise with that fact that you also experienced similar challenges to me during your internship.I hope that we can learn and improve on our struggles through this module together. I am also grateful for your thoughtful feedback on how I can improve my writing, it means a lot to me.
Regards,
Lyka
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lyka, for this fairly well developed and informative letter. You address most of the points of the brief with effective detail. For example, you share that you're a "firm believer that giving back to your community" is a positive value. How admirable! I'm curiouus though about your sense of community. Do you feel fully integrated into a particular community in Singapore, or is your main community of reference still in the Philippines? (My wife is part of the HFSE International School here in Singapore, and she has tight bonds within that social group. But there is no replacing her Cebuano roots and the connection she feels with her family.) It would have been interesting for us readers to know a bit more about your compass.
You also share a self assessment of your comm skills, which is particularly interesting because of the way you describe how your confidence level shifts depending on the audience, and in specific, the age thereof. I have a sense that this could be cultural as what I have seen after many extended stays in the Philippines is that there is an over hierarchy, much of it age and status dependent. I wonder if you have the sense that it's the same for Singapore, or is there any difference?
In your letter, you also explain about your aims for the module. Rest assured that you will have plenty of chances to express yourself verbally and, hopefully, to refine your oral skills.
In terms of your language use, this letter is a very good effort. As one of your other readers has mentioned though, you might have transitioned more smoothly to the 2nd paragraph. For your consideration.
What seems to me to be missing in this letter is mention of what makes you unique, and I'd suggest that within our class, what stands out is your ethnic background. I can't say, however, if that is something you sense.
I look forward to working with you further this term and learning more from you.
Best wishes,
Brad
Dear Professor Blackstone,
DeleteFirst off thank you for responding to my letter. Regarding your question about my sense of community, I would like to say that as much as I have integrated into Singapore as a whole, I don't think I feel connected to any specific community. With this being my 10th year living in Singapore, I have certainly adapted in many ways but I dont have a community here . However I also can't really say that my main community is in the Philippines.I went back to the Phillippines for the first time since Covid last year and I realised that even though I was there it felt like I was a tourist in my own country. The idea of home has become fluid for me. When I am in the Philippines I miss Singapore but when I am in Singapore I feel a longing for the Philippines.This in-betweeness is something that I have come to accept as my identity of being a immigrant. But I do agree with your wife that nothing can replace your familial roots because even though I have not seen my relatives in many years the bond is still as strong as the day I left.
In terms of communication and the role of hierarchy , I do believe that it is common for asian cultures to have deep respect for their elderly . However I do feel that age is a more prominent factor for hierarchy in the Philippines than in Singapore. In terms of a work aspect, since Singapore is a more fast paced and competitive environment I believe that there's a greater emphasis on your skill set rather than your age but I dont have much experience in the working industry yet so I can’t say much. As for my own authoritative issues ,I don’t believe that they stem from cultural reasons but more so with how I was brought up and raised.
You also mentioned about whats missing in my letter , particularly “ what makes me unique?”.Initially I believe that my commitment to giving back to society was what set me apart but I realise now that I may not have made that point explicitly clear. I have since refined my letter to better address this. While you suggested that my ethnic background is why I am unique, I personally don’t see it that way. Given Singapores diverse population , I don’t feel that my ethnicity alone makes me unique. Instead what I believe truly sets me apart is how I incorporate these two cultures and how growing up as an immigrant has shaped my perspective and values which you can read more of in my edited letter above.
Once again, thank you for your insights and encouragement. I truly appreciate your curiosity and I look forward to expanding my perspective further through your classes.Wishing you a happy friday!
Regards,
Lyka
Hey Lyka, I'm sure I had made comments on your fine letter but now I don't see them.
ReplyDeleteHi prof, I think your comment should be visible now. I think the website marked it as spam because it was too long but I was able to put it back.
Delete