Lemuel Ong ’18

Leading a team of writers at Malaysia’s foremost entertainment and media company, Lemuel says he gets to wear both his “creative hat” and his “business hat” every day.

In his job leading a team of writers at Malaysia’s foremost entertainment and media company, Lemuel Ong says he gets to wear both his “creative hat” and his “business hat” every day.

Ong graduated in 2018 after majoring in film and media and minoring in business. He now works in Kuala Lumpur as the Malaysian Content Unit Lead under the Malay Nusantara Business of Astro, which provides pay TV, films, and digital streaming.

“I lead a team of junior writers to oversee the end-to-end process of content creation under our business, from scriptwriting to content review and marketing, to ensure our content delivers on the objectives of showcasing Malaysian culture and driving underlying themes of unity for our multiracial audiences,” he said.

“I love that my job challenges me to think both creatively and strategically.”

He recalls several courses at Calvin that were foundational to his career, including Professor Smartt’s ‘Audio is King’ from CAS190, Professor Heetebrij’s lessons on scriptwriting, Professor Groenendyk’s lessons on persuasion, and Professor Plantinga’s lessons on the ethics of screen stories.

He said the video editing and storytelling skills he honed as a student paved the way for many opportunities when he started his career at the company as a management associate. Within a week of joining the team, he was entrusted with being the assistant director for a production of a Web series.

His experiences co-directing the Rangeela international variety show at Calvin and working as a consultant at the Rhetoric Center also taught him lessons that he uses in his job as a manager today, he said.

In his current position, he said he has the opportunity to drive content that brings about unity and mutual understanding.

“I hope to continue standing firm for the many values I hold fast to since my time in Calvin,” he said.