The People’s Association
plays a key role in
fostering ties within
Singapore’s communities.
Two PA Youth Leaders
Scholars share with us
how the scholarship has
allowed them to help
realise this vision.
Formed in 1960, the People’s Association (PA) is a statutory board that promotes racial harmony
and social cohesion in Singapore.
Through its network of 1,800 grassroots organisations (GROs), over 100 Community Clubs,
five Community Development Councils, National Community Leadership Institute and Water-Venture,
as well as community engagement events such as the National Day celebrations and the annual
Chingay Parade, the PA aims to achieve its mission To Build and To Bridge communities in achieving
One People, One Singapore.
In our racially-diverse society, everyone plays a part in maintaining harmony within the society. With
the PA Youth Leaders Scholarship, young adults have the chance to engage various communities to
foster greater ties. PA Youth Leaders Scholars Jessica Tan and Angela Tan tell us more about the
exciting prospects they look forward to.
Tell us more about the significance of the PA’s role in community-building and development.
Jessica Tan: Singapore is a potpourri of many different beliefs and cultures and this is one thing
Singaporeans can be proud of. The PA plays an important role in ensuring that the residents in
Singapore can come together through various engagement platforms, such as interest groups. I am
excited to be able to contribute to its mission!
Angela Tan: The PA’s significance lies in building trust and bond among Singapore’s residents. Only
when the society unites as one can the nation progress, both economically and socially. In addition,
the PA helps to bridge the gap between residents and the government by communicating government
policies to the residents and carrying feedback from residents to the government.
Jessica Tan Mei Yu
PA Youth Leaders Scholar
Studying:
Bachelor of Business Administration,
National University of Singapore
"I’m a strong believer of the maxim 'live to work' and I feel that it is important to work for an organisation
that I am passionate about!"
What attracted you to the PA Youth Leaders Scholarship?
Jessica: The PA encourages their scholars to be exposed to different areas of interest, such as youth
and social development. The PA’s vision also resonates with my hope for Singapore to become a great
home with a caring community. I relish working with people and for the community – these provide me with a sense of purpose in a career, which is
very important to me. Joining PA fulfils all that
and offers me the opportunity to make an impact
on the lives of people in my community.
Angela: I’m a strong believer of the maxim
'live to work' and I feel that it is important to
work for an organisation that I am passionate
about! The PA’s scholarship’s career prospects
also strongly appeal to me. Being an extrovert,
I enjoy interacting with people and through the
scholarship, I will be involved in community
projects and job placements in various strategic
units.
How is the PA Youth Leaders scholarship preparing you to contribute to PA and the community?
Jessica: PA offers its scholars plenty of
opportunities for community engagement. I
underwent an internship at the Youth Division to
support the PA Youth Movement (PAYM) Loves
Red Campaign and will be going for another
internship at a Constituency Office. We scholars
have also been invited for regular engagements
with the PA Senior Management and major
events such as the Chingay Parade and various
National Community Leadership Institute
(NACLI) Leadership Dialogues.
In addition, the scholarship offers structured
job placements for us in its different units. I have
gained a better understanding of the different
functions in PA and these experiences will value-add
to my future roles in the organisation for the
good cause of community development.
Angela Tan Yee Jin
PA Youth Leaders Scholar
Studying:
Bachelor of Economics,
Politics and International Studies,
University of Warwick, UK
Angela: I attended the Preparatory Seminar
(PrepSem) for Public Sector Scholarship Holders
prior to departing for my studies and this allowed
me to network with scholars from various
Ministries and statutory boards. I believe
there will be opportunities for collaboration
in future when we are in the service. I will
also be interning with PA at the South West
Community Development Council this year,
where I will be involved in the planning and
implementation of several events such as the
SG50 CDC Celebrating Communities.
I believe that with the hands-on experience
and fundamental knowledge of PA’s operations,
I will be better prepared to hit the ground running
and value-add to my future roles for PA and the
community.
Share with us some other highlights of your scholarship journey.
Jessica: The PA Youth Leaders Scholarship
has contributed to a fulfilling and enjoyable
university life and allowed me to pursue various
interests as part of my character development.
Living independently at one of NUS’ residential
halls is certainly daunting, but has certainly been
one of the best moments of my university life.
Angela: The PA Youth Leaders Scholarship
allows me to pursue my studies in the University
of Warwick. I get to be a member of the Warwick
Handball Women team, and we were the
champions for the plate tournament last season!
I also joined a couple of societies like the Raise
and Give society which, through its exciting fund-raising
activity line-up, really opened my eyes
to how the British can make the best out of a
seemingly mundane task.
I am also actively involved in the Singapore
Society at the University of Warwick, where I
was the emcee for the Chinese New Year (CNY)
Dinner last February and also helped out at the
Hwa Chong Alumni CNY booth in London. Last
but not least, I’ll be embarking on a 3-week
volunteering programme in Uganda this year!
What advice would you have for aspiring PA Scholars?
Jessica: While the PA Youth Leaders
Scholarship offers many exciting opportunities
and benefits, it is def nitely not a one-size-fits-all
scholarship. It is important for you to have the
passion to serve the community and be able to
work with residents from all walks of life to fully
reap the benefits that the scholarship can offer.
If you are interested in community development,
then the PA Youth Leaders Scholarship is
definitely the way to go!
Angela: If you like to plan and execute events
to engage the community, this scholarship might
be the one for you. More importantly, never treat
the scholarship solely as a sponsorship for your
university fees – you must always consider if the
career prospects provided by the scholarship
truly excite you. If so, be bold and apply for it!