SINGAPORE - As a recipient of the President's Scholarship, he could have chosen to go to almost any university in the world.
But Mr Stefan Liew Jing Rui, who is also a Singapore Police Force scholar, is choosing to stay true to his roots - he has enrolled in local liberal arts college Yale-NUS.
Mr Liew, 19, is one of five recipients of this year's President's Scholarship, the most prestigious of all undergraduate awards given out by the Public Service Commission.
The other recipients, all 19, are Mr Alden Tan Ming Yang and Ms Tan Xin Hwee from Raffles Institution, and Ms Sharmaine Koh Mingli and Ms Penny Shi Peng Yi from Hwa Chong Institution.
They received their scholarship awards on Thursday (Aug 16) from President Halimah Yacob at the Istana.
At the award ceremony, President Halimah told them that the best and brightest who have benefited from the system would be expected to contribute more to society.
She said: "Securing the President’s Scholarship and achieving great heights in your education and career, are not ends in themselves. Ultimately, that success must be translated into tangible contributions towards our effort to build a fair, just and equitable society for the benefit of everyone."
Mr Liew will study liberal arts at Yale-NUS, while Mr Tan will study economics, statistics and data science at Yale University.
Also heading to Yale University is Ms Koh, who will study history and politics. Ms Tan will be reading psychology and philosophy at Oxford University while Ms Shi will be reading urban studies at Stanford University.
President's Scholarships have been awarded since 1966. Four to six were awarded each year for the past 10 years.
Said Mr Liew, who was formerly from the River Valley High School Integrated Programme: "A liberal arts college will provide me with a different perspective."
He said going to Yale-NUS will allow him to stay close to his family.
After his parents separated when he was 13, Mr Liew and his older brother were brought up by their father, a production manager at an electronics company.
It was not a glamorous job, but his father earned enough to give the brothers a stable life, Mr Liew said.
And that taught him the importance of family.
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"Pursuing (academic) excellence does not have to come at the expense of losing precious family time," he said.
"My father put in a lot of effort to give us a future he could never experience," he added.
Seeing his father carrying out his duty to the family has cultivated a sense of responsibility in Mr Liew, who often volunteers for social and environment causes.
"My family is just one of thousands around Singapore, and all these families have different stories. Some of them may be in even less privileged situations."
His personal goal, he said, is to learn to appreciate these hidden stories even more, through volunteering for different local causes.
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SINGAPORE: As future leaders, President's Scholars have the responsibility to lead fellow Singaporeans in introducing innovative solutions and implementing practical policies to tackle tomorrow's challenges, President Halimah Yacob said as she presented the scholarship to five recipients at the Istana on Thursday (Aug 16) evening .
“To do this, you must remain closely connected to the ground, and serve with dedication and humility. The Public Service can only succeed if it is built on trust; trust that public officers will uphold Singapore’s best interests," she said.
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"We must serve with empathy, and put the needs of others before ourselves,” she added.
The President’s scholarship is the highest accolade to be given to an undergraduate, and is typically awarded to students with a strong ethos for public service.
It is awarded in addition to another public sector scholarship, such as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Scholarship, Singapore Police Force (SPF) Scholarship and the Public Service Commission (PSC) Scholarship.
This year's recipients are SPF scholars Inspector Alden Tan and Inspector Stefan Liew, SAF scholar Officer Cadet Sharmaine Koh and PSC scholars Penny Shi and Tan Xin Hwee.
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RESILIENCE AND EMPATHY
For 19-year-old Sharmaine Koh, growing up in an extended family of boys saw many of their conversations inevitably revolve around the army.
And since she couldn’t beat them, she joined them.
Her uncle, for example, was in the armor unit, a vocation that she will be joining when she returns from her studies at Yale University.
“I thought to myself, 'if I feel that defending the country was very important ... if not me to defend, then who else?'” she said.
Sharmaine Koh is among 22 female recipients awarded scholarships from the Singapore Armed Forces and Defence Ministry.
The officer cadet is among 22 female recipients awarded scholarships by the Singapore Armed Forces and Defence Ministry this year - a number that MINDEF said has doubled from a decade ago.
Sharmaine will study history and politics at Yale, two subjects she believes will help inform her decisions as a strategist and leader in the army.
"A lot of things - like our geopolitical realities, why Singapore makes policy the way it does - is very much informed by our historical experiences. (History and politics) also shapes the national psyche, so I felt that (those subjects) will be able to help me formulate more appropriate and meaningful policies.”
Sharmaine’s degree of choice is a surprising one, considering her less-than-stellar history grade at Hwa Chong Institution. But regular coaching sessions by her history teacher helped her understand how the subject is applicable to the present, and she gradually excelled in it.
Tan Xin Hwee will be pursuing a degree in philosophy and Ppychology at Oxford University.
FINDING THE CONNECTION
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Tan Xin Hwee, who is from Raffles Institution, feels a need to connect with the characters in her life.
The Public Service Commission scholar, who will be pursuing a degree in philosophy and psychology at Oxford University, has stepped into the shoes of a wide spectrum of characters over her seven years in theatre.
“The process of crafting theatre is essentially an exercise in empathy. When you borrow these notes you learn in theatre, you’ll see that people around you have very varied needs. They have different experiences from you, but still have needs that are very important,” Xin Hwee said.
"In public service, when you're crafting policies, there's a very human aspect to it. You really need to understand the people you are trying to help, otherwise you will be addressing needs that don't exist, and you're going to spend a lot of resources on things that people don't actually need."
Philosophy and psychology are subjects that she believes will help her reach out to the public more effectively.
“Many times, policies are created with the intention of helping people on the ground. But the benefit may not be always so apparent to them. I hope to value-add by applying an overarching perspective and critical thinking skills to dissect policies and address needs more accurately,” she said.
Xin Hwee eventually hopes to contribute to the education and social services sector.
Save the date for Thursday, November 1, 2018 for the annual Cuyahoga Community College Presidential Scholarship Luncheon with Dr. Robert M. Gates. Gates was the Secretary of Defense from 2006-2011 and is a New York Times Best-Selling Author.
Presidential Scholarship Luncheon History
The tradition of the Presidential Scholarship Luncheon is impressive. The event is the Foundation’s opportunity to bring together members of the community, present a dynamic keynote speaker, and showcase the College and its mission while raising funds for scholarships. The annual net proceeds from the Luncheon are distributed to numerous Tri-C Foundation scholarship funds including the First Generation Scholarship Fund, Presidential Scholarship Fund, Gap Scholarship Fund, Veterans Scholarship Fund, and scholarship funds as designated by donors. Each scholarship awarded contributes to the quality of life for all by providing a stronger workforce for the region.
Since its inception in 1992, the Foundation’s Presidential Scholarship Luncheon has raised more than $18 million to benefit Tri-C students. The Foundation awarded $2.9 million in scholarships to nearly 2,200 students last year.
Past Presidential Scholarship Luncheon speakers include:
• Octavia Spencer (2017)
• Ted Koppel (2016)
• Earvin "Magic" Johnson (2015)
• President George Bush (2014)
• President Bill Clinton (2013)
• Dr. Madeleine Albright (2012)
• The Right Honorable Tony Blair (2011)
• Dr. Condoleezza Rice (2010)
• George Stephanopoulos (2009)
• Bob Costas (2008)
• General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) (2007)
• Tom Brokaw (2006)
• Tim Russert (2005)
• Edward Norton (2004)
• Peter B. Lewis (2003)
• Oprah Winfrey (2002)
• Sam Donaldson (2001)
• Ed Bradley (2000)
• Senator John Glenn (1999)
• Cokie Roberts (1998)
• Hank Aaron (1997)
• Harry Belafonte (1996)
• Maya Angelou (1995)
• Mark McCormack (1994)
• Robert Lewis (1992)
