Colleagues, award recipients, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
1. I am very happy to be here to join all of you in celebrating the achievements of our students today. First, my heartiest congratulations to all our 195 award recipients! I would also like to extend my congratulations to all the family members and teachers here today – your care and support have been instrumental in our students' growth.
2. The Special Awards Presentation ceremony remains meaningful year after year because it celebrates the many talents and spirit of excellence in our students across many schools and institutions. Over the years, the scale and breadth of this award ceremony has grown. We are grateful for the generous donations of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Lee Hsien Loong which went into funding these awards. This is a good reminder on the importance of giving back to society and nurturing our future generations.
3. The range of 11 awards we are presenting this afternoon reflects our belief that there are many definitions of success in our society, our commitment to providing multiple pathways in education, and that every student is valued and can contribute to the community. Beyond just doing well academically, our recipients exemplify some of the qualities we hope to nurture in our students which will stand them in good stead in life. In a more complex world, our students will need to have the values, dispositions, skills and knowledge to navigate their way ahead and lead purposeful lives.
4. Our students will need to be resilient and have the gumption to learn and grow. Shakthi Priya Ramesh is one of our recipients of the Lee Kuan Yew Exemplary Student Award. A student at Rainbow Centre Margaret Drive School, Priya is a role model to others through her positive behaviour. Her ability to identify the needs of others and be sensitive to the feelings of those around her makes her a natural and likeable leader. She carries out her tasks and responsibilities with enthusiasm, such as doing morning assembly duties and distributing meal packs to her schoolmates. Priya is also tenacious in learning to be more independent. This is seen in how she mastered the skill of using her motorised wheelchair which allows her to travel freely within the community. Priya also helps out at her father's minimart during weekends and school holidays. Because of her good work habits and work readiness skills, the school has recommended her for the School-To-Work Programme by SG Enable. Congratulations Priya!
5. Our students will also need to be self-directed and adaptable. Celyn Chng is an inquisitive student with a keen interest in science. She shared that her biology teacher inspired her to initiate a school-based research project related to the use of Lactobacillus casei to treat Alzheimer's disease. As the team leader, Celyn collaborated with two teammates on the research and guided the team during their two-year long research journey. When the pandemic struck, their access to the laboratory was affected. However, Celyn and her teammates learnt to be flexible in their thinking, improvised and worked with more basic equipment to keep the research going. With determination and teamwork, they saw the fruition of their research and discovered a potentially promising method to treat patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The project was submitted as one of Singapore's entries in the International Science and Engineering Fair 2021, where it clinched second place in the Animal Sciences category. Congratulations Celyn!
6. Today, Celyn will be receiving the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Mathematics and Science at the pre-university level. We congratulate Celyn not only for receiving this award, but also for her passion in learning and her ability to be nimble and adapt to the situation even in the face of challenges.
7. Our students will also need to be creative and empathetic, so that they can think of new solutions which make a positive difference in society. Sarabjeet Singh, Zamiruzzaman bin Ibrahim, Liu Jiacheng and Lim Meng Loek, were touched by their lecturer's personal story of his father's struggle with chronic illnesses and how it was difficult to keep track of the different medication schedules. The team was then inspired to assist caregivers and the elderly by creating a device that would be of practical help. In collaboration with the National Healthcare Group Pharmacy which had launched Singapore's first multi-dose drug management service, the team of four young gentlemen set out to use their coding skills to create an integrated Home Automation SmartCare device that will transform the way medications are managed. The team also ensured that the design of the device is visually appealing and intuitive for the elderly to use.
8. As shared by Zamiruzzaman, this project was not just about creating a device but also contributing to the community and benefiting our aging society in Singapore. Congratulations to Sarabjeet, Zamiruzzaman, Jiacheng and Meng Loek for receiving the Lee Hsien Loong Interactive Digital Media Smart Nation Award!
9. Today, even as we celebrate with the award recipients, we are in fact celebrating as a community. For the achievements of our young people here today are not merely their own, but also due to the efforts and encouragement of parents, teachers, school leaders, industry and the larger community. And I thank all of you for your strong support and partnership which have enabled our students to flourish and achieve their potential in the different pathways in education.
10. Before I conclude, I would like to share two thoughts with our recipients:
- First, when journeying in life, remember others – all who cared for you, encouraged you, enabled you and stood by you. Always have a spirit of gratitude. Let us now show our appreciation to those who are here cheering us on in this auditorium – let's give a round of applause to our parents, teachers, friends, and school leaders.
- Second, continue to grow in the qualities that will enable you to make a positive impact to others in life. While we live in a world that is constantly changing, remain steadfast in the values that ground our community, find joy in learning and continue to pursue your dreams. Use your knowledge, talents, and skills to be a blessing to yourself and others. Imagine what the world could be if each of you do this.
11. Congratulations to all our recipients, and I wish all of you the very best!
12. Thank you.