In Secondary 1, one of Siti Aisyah Abdul Rahman's biggest fears was speaking to her teachers and classmates in English.

Said the Serangoon Garden Secondary student: "Although I had learnt English in (Islamic religious school) Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah, I was more comfortable conversing in Malay. The teachers and classmates all spoke in English, and I was scared they would judge me. It felt suffocating when I struggled to express myself in English."

But it was when she was chosen to represent the maths department in her school's open house, where she had to speak to parents and potential students about the department in English in 2017, that she had to confront her fear.

The 16-year-old was yesterday over the moon to learn she scored six distinctions out of seven subjects at last year's O-level exams.

She also cleared English, getting a C6 grade for the subject.

"I felt relieved and glad that I did well. I managed to pass English and achieved my target for the rest of the subjects," she said.

Siti Aisyah, who moved to a mainstream secondary school after six years in a madrasah, had done well enough to secure a Ministry of Education Edusave scholarship for all four years in Serangoon Garden Secondary.

To improve her English skills, Siti Aisyah undertook after-school lessons with her teachers in Secondary 3 and 4, and practised with classmates who helped her identify and correct grammatical errors.

She hopes to pursue a Diploma in Accountancy at Singapore Polytechnic. She said: "Don't be afraid to step up or be worried if anyone judges you. It's your future and you need to pave your own path.