Two paths, one purpose: How two President’s Scholars found meaning in helping others

SINGAPORE – As a promising football player at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Samuel Poh was urged by his coach to play at a higher level by joining Hougang United when he was 15.

Though he eventually went on to captain the club’s under-17 team, Poh, now 19, said that the lessons he learnt during his two years at the football club went beyond the sport. They also came from interacting with teammates from diverse backgrounds.

Some of them came from less privileged or more troubled family backgrounds, while others struggled academically or fell in with the wrong social circles.

“Before that, I hadn’t been exposed to people from such diverse backgrounds... This really opened my eyes to how many of them have different challenges. Yet, we had a similar objective to achieve: working together to win games,” he said.

What followed was a realisation of the importance of understanding each person as an individual and recognising that, despite their challenges, people are a nation’s greatest asset.

During his six years at ACS (I), he had also engaged the disadvantaged in other ways. These included giving weekly mathematics tuition to primary schoolchildren and running monthly programmes for children with familial issues at Lakeside Family Services – a community charity in Clementi.

Poh is one of two recipients of the 2026 President’s Scholarship, the most prestigious of all undergraduate awards given out by the Public Service Commission.

The other recipient is Charlene Tan, 20, the first female Singapore Police Force (SPF) scholarship holder to receive the award.

It is given to those who are committed to serving the public, have good character, and are dedicated to making life better for Singaporeans.

Presenting the award to the recipients at the Istana on Aug 14, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that while the public service has been and remains one of Singapore’s defining strengths, demands on it will keep evolving and be more complex in the years to come.

The President added that the Republic has to live with the changes around the world, and keep renewing the conviction that has guided it over six decades: We are all better when we can uplift each other and move forward together.

“But that conviction holds only when people can see it play out in their own lives – when people have good jobs and feel secure in their futures, and when they sense that they are each respected for what they contribute, with none being superior to the other,” he said.

About 70 guests attended the ceremony, including Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, and President Tharman’s spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi.

Poh, who graduated from ACS (I) in 2025 after his International Baccalaureate exams, will head to the London School of Economics and Political Science in September 2026, where he will read politics and international relations.

He is looking forward to a career in the Singapore Armed Forces, where he sees an opportunity to work with people from all walks of life to achieve a common goal.

“I want to work towards a more inclusive culture, one where everybody feels that their contribution is meaningful, and that they all play an important role in the defence of Singapore,” said Poh, who declined to give details about his family.

Tan, who completed her A levels at Hwa Chong Institution in 2024, began her forensic science degree at Pennsylvania State University in the US in January 2026.

After she graduates in 2029, she will serve those in need through a career in the police force.

This is a passion she has nurtured since she was in primary school, when her parents encouraged her and her older brother to take part in various community initiatives.

Her years of community work have covered a range of causes, including organising green initiatives such as recyclable collection and sustainability tours, online tutoring, and volunteering with the Breast Cancer Foundation and Club Rainbow, a charity for children with chronic illnesses or disabilities.

Tan said that through volunteering, she met people from other backgrounds who helped widened her perspective. It also gave her a sense of purpose, something she struggled with during her earlier schooling years.

“I feel that the rat race and hustle are taken very seriously here. Sometimes, we’re studying or competing to a point where it feels almost aimless. That’s how I felt in secondary school,” said Tan, who was from Nanyang Girls’ High School.

Her inspiration to join the SPF came from her interactions with officers who had diverse backgrounds but shared the same mission to make a positive impact.

“I feel that especially in the police force, every small interaction that you have with the public is something that could make a big difference in their lives,” she said.

Congratulating Poh and Tan in his address, President Tharman said that what distinguishes them is not just what they have achieved, but also how they have chosen to give their time and commitment.

“That instinct to connect with others, act on what you see, and make a tangible difference, exemplifies what we seek to cultivate in all our public officers,” he said.

Calling the award a responsibility, and not a privilege, the President said that it does not set one up for life at the pinnacle, or even for a career that leads to the pinnacles of the public service.

“It instead reflects the trust that you will be a role model of both humility and excellence, and will work tirelessly with others to improve the lives of all Singaporeans,” he said.