By DENIELLE LEONG
brats@thestar.com.my

MOST of you are probably wondering: what happens after the four-day, three-night BRATs workshops? You put your newly-acquired journalistic skills to the test, of course!

BRATs isn’t just a one-off thing – once you’re a BRAT, you’re a BRAT for life; and it’s not a bad thing, honestly. So you can expect to be out and about, covering fun, cool and educational assignments frequently.

And let’s be real – the assignments are pretty darn amazing when you throw a bunch of celebrities into the mix.

We’ve been fortunate enough to meet Christina Perri, Kyle Patrick of The Click Five, and even K-pop groups like EXO and KARA. Some BRATs have also conducted “phoners” (telephone interviews) with B.O.B, Leona Lewis, Austin Mahone.

Need a little more convincing? Here’s what the BRATs have to say about their star-studded experience:

Chia Chien Teng (BRATs Kuantan 2010)

Chia Chien Teng interviewed Greyson Chance for the BRATs when he was in Kuala Lumpur.

“It’s not everyday that you get to meet a famous singer (or two), much less interview him! Scoring interviews with both The Click Five and Greyson Chance were just one of the many highlights of my journey thus far as a BRAT. Oh, and did I mention? Greyson even told me I was cute! #shameless

With BRATs, I learnt how to be a journalist from professionals in the field, unearthed hidden stories from places in Malaysia I’d never been to before, and even went on air with Xandria Ooi on Capital.FM! Whether you’re an aspiring journalist or a pre-medical student keen on learning some new skills, BRATs has a place for you.”

Tam Xueh Wei (BRATs Kuala Terengganu 2012)

Tam Xueh Wei during her interview with her favourite YouTuber Ryan Higa.

“When I first applied for BRATs, I wanted to gain great experiences, and that I did. But never would I have thought that soon after my workshop, I would be given the chance to participate in an interview with Ryan Higa – only one of the most famous YouTubers ever. He also happens to be my favourite YouTuber, so meeting him was an absolute dream! The experience slowly warmed up more to the idea of journalism.

Later, I was lucky to join in an interview with Hot Chelle Rae too. Surprisingly though, the most nerve-wracking assignments to me were the phone interviews with Leona Lewis and Lawson. Maybe it was because I was all on my own, or it could also be the fear that I couldn’t catch on to their British accent. Either way, I managed it and the outcome was absolutely fulfilling.”

Roshinee Mookaiah (BRATs Johor Bahru 2013)

Roshinee Mookaiah (right) has interviewed Lawson as well as former Westlife singer Shane Filan.

“I have been in BRATs for less than a year and already I have been presented with many unique opportunities. The fun began almost immediately after I completed the Johor Baru workshop. One of the assignments included interviewing a Lego Master Builder at the then newly-opened Legoland Malaysia (inclusive of free tickets, free rides and more Lego freebies).

After the workshop, I’ve had the chance to interview celebrities like Lawson and former Westlife member Shane Filan, and even did live coverage of Malaysia’s biggest cheerleading competition, Cheer 2013.

One memorable experience was when I, a small town girl, got a chance to hang out backstage with some of Malaysia’s coolest personalities at the recent 2013 SHOUT! Awards, and Sam from Bunkface stopped the press conference mid-way just to comment on my hair band. You don’t get a rockstar saying that to you every day now, do you?”

Wanna do what we do? Send your BRATs application to brats@thestar.com.my!