Tell us more about your journey to SUTD.
Throughout my education journey, I have made unconventional decisions not supported by those around me, but I persevered. I repeated Secondary 3 and decided to retake my A Levels when I was not accepted into the universities I applied to.
I retook my A Levels in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and my father’s struggles with work as his industry (building construction) took a hard hit. In 2021, he passed away from a heart attack shortly before I received my A Level results, which showed a significant improvement and led to offers from universities that had previously rejected me. It has been a challenging time, but I am now a Year 2 student at SUTD and hope to continue making my father proud.
How has your university experience been so far?
University life has been both challenging and immensely rewarding. Staying in a hostel for the first term has been an unforgettable experience. I learnt to be more independent and how to navigate interpersonal relationships. The many opportunities to work in teams at SUTD have also been an eye-opener as I got to meet people from diverse backgrounds and with different working styles.
I have tried out a few extra-curricular activities such as Climbing, Boxing and Rotaract Club, where we reached out to the homeless and mentored underprivileged students. Volunteering has made me realise the importance of support for vulnerable groups, as well as the warmth that interpersonal interactions can bring.
How has the Quantedge Foundation-SUTD Education Opportunity Grant (QF-SEOG) empowered you?
Thanks to QF-SEOG’s invaluable support, I’m breaking new ground as the first in my family to attend university. Since my father’s passing, my family has been struggling financially as he was the sole breadwinner.
Through QF-SEOG, I also had the opportunity to work with Rice Media to learn about content creation and filmmaking – something entirely new to me. Our long-form video explores the experience of a youth in the foster care system, broadening my understanding of vulnerable communities in Singapore.
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