Strong support systems inspire SP grads to pursue their passions in social work, finance

More than 5,500 students graduated from Singapore Polytechnic (SP) between May 4 and May 8.

Among them was Ms Sophia Lai, who received the Tan Kay Yong Gold Medal. This accolade is awarded to a graduate from a design or creative course who ranks within the top 5 per cent of the cohort, and who showcases an outstanding portfolio of work.

Ms Lai’s academic achievements mask the struggles she experienced earlier in life. Throughout secondary school, she struggled with burnout caused by stress and described feeling a sense of “emptiness”.

She said: “It felt like a void. I found myself longing for the days when I could genuinely feel emotions.”

At the time, she was also getting single-digit scores in her exams.

After finishing secondary school, Ms Lai, who has a strong interest in art, turned to drawing visual representations of her emotions and journaling as a way to heal from the hollowness she felt.

In 2023, she enrolled in SP to pursue a diploma in media, arts and design (creative community engagement with psychology).

But once she began her diploma studies, she noticed troubling shifts in her lifestyle, including difficulties falling asleep at night and increasingly frequent mood swings. Recognising the need for support, she sought counselling services via the SP website. 

Though Ms Lai’s healing journey is still ongoing, her counsellor at SP helped in reshaping her perspective.

She said her counsellor used a simple illustration – a drawing of a circle inside a square – to help her reframe her thinking.

She recalled the counsellor explaining: “The circle represents all the things you are able to do, and the square represents all the things you want to do. If the circle grows bigger, the square will, too. No matter how much you want to, there will always be new corners that you cannot fill.”

As Ms Lai learnt to deal with her emotions while studying, she combined her interests in art and community service.

During her time at SP, she participated in various local and overseas community engagement projects. For instance, during a trip to Cambodia with the Singapore International Foundation, she used art to spark discussions about mental health among Cambodian secondary school students.

“We asked students to imagine life as a river, and got them to draw what helps their river flow or prevents their river from running smoothly,” she said.

Her final-year project was a three-day public exhibition at Tampines Bus Interchange that showcased interactive displays aimed at educating the public on how to interact with individuals with autism while using public transport.

She felt a sense of fulfilment from the conversations she had with members of the public. “A person with autism said our exhibition made him realise that something he thought should be masked was, in fact, something worth advocating for,” she said.

Spurred by a desire to continue using art to engage the community, Ms Lai plans to pursue a degree in social work at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Another SP graduate, Ms Victoria Ann Gore Tay, 23, attributes her career path to her family’s influence.

She completed her diploma in human resource management with psychology and received the Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal on May 4, awarded to the most outstanding graduate formerly from an Institute of Technical Education.

Ms Tay’s mother single-handedly raised her and her brother, which taught her the importance of financial stability.

This led her to take on part-time work at Luckin Coffee while studying at SP. She worked throughout her three years of study, going from five-hour shifts to classes, and vice versa.

“Growing up, my mum always handled everything herself, so I wanted to ease her burden by not taking pocket money,” she said.

Though her mother did not pressure her to do well in school, Ms Tay still strived to do her best.

She would reduce the number of shifts she took on to prepare for tests or project deadlines, explaining that she had established a clear boundary since her primary focus was school.

Her efforts earned her a place on the Director’s Honour Roll for two consecutive years, which is awarded to students in the top 10 per cent of their cohort.

During her in-house internship at SP, she sought out opportunities to try other areas such as marketing to broaden her experience. 

Eventually, Ms Tay realised her interest lies in finance and plans to major in the field at NUS or Singapore Management University.

Her interest is rooted in wanting to take care of her family, she said. “I want to be able to support my family. Everything I do, career and school-wise, is mostly for them.”