One of the core values of Nanyang Junior College (NYJC) is empathy, where compassion and the desire to help others to the best of your ability are nurtured. Naturally, this value is best embodied by students Ho Shang Yi, Gerald Ho, and Goh Kaixuan, who all share a common heart of servitude and giving back to society.

For them, the release of the 2018 GCE ‘A’ Level results on 22 February 2019 opens the gateway to more development opportunities in both higher education and career, and amidst the exhilaration of the special day, it offers the perfect moment for them to look back at their journeys while keeping an eye on the exciting path that lies ahead. BrightSparks catches up with the trio as they share with us the learning opportunities and programmes provided by the school and the academic and career goals they look forward to having.

Driving Passion

As an institution committed to fostering a learning community with value-centric learning at its heart, NYJC structures its range of holistic programmes around a unique Managing Self Leading Others (MSLO) framework, which seeks to enhance the capabilities and capacities of students in the areas of character and leadership development. A key programme is the NYJC Galileo, a student development programme which partners different Co-Curricular Activities and college committees to organise and coordinate a range of workshops and activities. “Under the Galileo programme, I participated in the Model United Nations, where we debate on a certain topic and come up with a resolution,” shares Shang Yi. “I had to go beyond my comfort zone by speaking up more frequently and frame responses quickly by thinking on my feet. This helped to build my communication skills.”

The programme has also benefitted Gerald by helping him become a more effective leader. “In the Leadership Series, I attended numerous lectures where successful people shared their stories. From their experiences, I learned many life skills such as empathy, which reminded me of the importance of giving back,” he says. “The programme also taught me to seize every opportunity to widen connections; when you interact more with people, you get to pick up their ideas.”

Creating Change Through Service

All three students have a deep-seated interest in carving out careers in the public sector, and for Kaixuan – who is looking at both the Public Service Commission (PSC) Scholarship (Engineering) and Smart Nation Scholarship – it all goes down to making an impact in his pet fields of Engineering and Information Technology (IT). “My passion lies in the public sector, and having gone for an internship under the Smart Nation Scholarship, I’ve gained an interesting perspective on policy-making and how someone in the public sector can make a difference,” he reveals.  

Shang Yi concurs, and shares his wish to be a changemaker under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “My interest in foreign affairs helps me to understand Singapore’s vulnerability, which underscores the need to have more talent in foreign and public service.”