From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength

From struggling in Science to doing well in the subject, from being deeply introverted to addressing schoolmates confidently, this 15-year-old has accomplished things she did not believe were possible.

“When I was in Secondary One, I was quiet but now some of my teachers say that I contribute more in class and discussions,” says Nurul A’Syaqirah Kasim, a Secondary Three student at New Town Secondary School.

“I feel proud of myself because I never thought it could happen to me.”

Since 2023, Syaqirah has been a scholar at

=Dreams (read as “Equal Dreams”)

, a unique weekday residential campus that provides additional support for students who live in public rental flats.

Watch to discover how =Dreams has supported scholars like Syaqirah to discover strengths they never knew they had.

Identified by her family’s social worker as a student with the potential to do well in school,

the 15-year-old was awarded a full scholarship covering the cost of the =Dreams programme, which includes food and lodging.

 
During the day, she and her fellow scholars attend their respective schools, before returning to the =Dreams campus at Haig Road. 

There, they are given holistic support with academic, enrichment and personal development programmes.

Activities include tuition classes, mock exam sessions, sharing circles, as well as non-academic workshops such as photography and calisthenics. 

Run as a charity funded mainly by donations and in-kind sponsorships, =Dreams relies on volunteers, paid project workers and full-time staff to design and implement its programmes. 

It was one of its activities, a public speaking programme started last April, that helped Syaqirah come out of her shell. 

Volunteering to nurture the younger generation

Ms Mangeyar Karasi, the instructor for that public speaking programme, saw how Syaqirah grew over the sessions.

“Syaqirah was such an introvert and public speaking was really a fearful thing for her,” Ms Karasi recalls. “But she has gone beyond expectations and I must say that she has done well.”

The retired teacher started volunteering at =Dreams in May 2024, tutoring lower secondary students in English. She then led programmes such as public speaking and even got the younger students started on a flowering and vegetable garden.

With 30 years of experience as an educator and head of English language and literature at independent, autonomous and public schools, Ms Karasi has become a trusted academic mentor at =Dreams.

“Once a teacher, always a teacher,” she says proudly. 

The 71-year-old spends two evenings a week at the =Dreams campus.

“It’s an excellent programme. In Singapore where we believe everybody’s living comfortably, there are people among us who have problems day-to-day even feeding themselves, and =Dreams takes care of these people who need additional support,” Ms Karasi says. 

She very quickly understood that beyond the =Dreams scholars’ need for help with schoolwork, there were other gaps to fill.

“I realised that more than just tutoring them in academic subjects, what they really wanted was someone to listen to and have faith in them,” she says.

Indeed, academic success is just one aspect of =Dreams’ goal for its scholars. The programme  focuses on personal development, with an emphasis on values such as resilience, responsibility and empathy.

Ms Karasi points to another scholar, Johnny Tan, as a testament to what =Dreams has already achieved in just two years.

The 16-year-old Dunman Secondary School student had approached her one day to share he had failed an English test but did not understand why. He later reviewed the test and realised he made many careless mistakes.

“That was when my connection with Johnny began, and so now, when he has any questions, he will ask me,” says Ms Karasi.

Her support, as part of =Dreams’ bigger academic, health and wellness infrastructure, has contributed to Johnny’s growth.

He points out how much he has also benefited from the study buddies from Victoria Junior College and Mendaki, who help the =Dreams scholars with their homework.

“My grades have improved since I came here,” he says. “Before, I didn’t have any tuition and it was a bit hard to study on my own. I didn’t have any peers or volunteers to help me,” says Johnny.

Like Syaqirah, Johnny comes from a single-parent home. While he admits to missing his mother a lot in the beginning, having mentors like Ms Karasi around has been comforting. 

“I’ve experienced that care and love from her – she gives that motherly feeling,” he says. “She makes you feel like you’re at home.”

At the same time, staying away from home during the week has taught Johnny to be independent and assume responsibility for himself. He has also learnt how to get along well with his peers as he shares a room with three other boys, two of whom are younger. 

“It feels good to teach the younger students how to do the correct things. When the new scholars come in, I teach them how to solve certain problems and show them how to keep the room clean,” he says. 

Besides the various tuition and enrichment programmes, scholars also get opportunities for short-term internships.

“I did a week-long internship at a pre-school where I was tasked to observe the class and attend to any child who needed supervision or help,” Syaqirah shares. “The kids were very hesitant to approach me at first but after a few days, they were more familiar with me and some of them even came over to sit on my lap, which made me very happy.”

Selected scholars also get to participate in overseas learning trips, such as the one Johnny went for in Mumbai last October.

“We spent two days at a crisis intervention centre and played with the kids there,” he says. “Some of those kids come from single-parent families and had a tough upbringing. Honestly, I can relate to how they feel and, through this trip, I realised that I’m very lucky to have a place like =Dreams because not every country has something like this.”

Re-energised to make more impact

Ms Karasi has only been with =Dreams for just over a year but she has already seen marked improvements in the scholars.

“I see the students settling down more, and becoming more serious about their schoolwork and their responsibilities,” she says. “Change is taking place and the students are aspiring higher.” 

Indeed, it is not just the teenagers who are aspiring for more. Ms Karasi herself has been re-energised and recently started pursuing a Master’s degree in Psychology, hoping to contribute even more to the nurturing of the young minds at =Dreams. 

She is already planning for the next enrichment programme she intends to lead, a few sessions on podcasting. 

The growth that she will contribute to is even more admirable considering the challenges the =Dreams scholars face at home.

A number of the students shared with her how they have one table at home that is used by everyone for everything, while at =Dreams they have separate study and personal spaces.

“You know, that physical space impacts your mental space so now they’re able to expand mentally and think beyond just one table. When that happens, they start to think that they can do better,” says Ms Karasi.

The joy of such transformations has been rewarding, she adds.

“Here at =Dreams, you get to give something back to the community and you can impact more and get the joy of working with the community.”

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