Vattey was working full-time in retail and had no clue what came next. Then her social worker handed her a brochure for Kita's (previously known as a Hatch Immersive+) programme.

"I was curious about digital marketing, so I thought, why not?" she says.

That casual "why not?" changed everything.

Through Kita Studios, Vattey learned to lead, communicate and actually work with people (it's harder than it sounds, okay?). Her capstone project, a Gen Z marketing campaign for Bettr Barista, was the confidence boost she didn't know she needed.

Suddenly, she could see herself doing this for real.

After Studios, she landed an internship elsewhere. It... didn't go great.

Just when she was feeling pretty disheartened, her former trainer called. "Want to come back to Kita?" This time, as a marketing intern at Hatch Mediahouse. Um, duh!

Eventually, she moved to the Kita Programmes team as Programmes Executive. Full circle moment: she was now supporting youths the same way she'd once been supported.

These days, Vattey runs Kita Space — a chill, creative hub where Kita youth alumni drop in, hang out and find their tribe.

"Space is one of the most wholesome programmes to run," she says. "Seeing youths share their passions, like Insyirah's poetry or Zahrah's D&D sessions, reminds me of why I choose to work here."

Her advice for anyone new to Space? "Stay open-minded. Everything shared here is a learning point — whether you need it now or five years later."

Translation: just show up. You never know what'll stick.