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Beyond
a Symbol by Carrie Soh and Liang Hwee Ming
Awards that have motivated young ITE students to go beyond what they think they can achieve, and spur them to do well – even years down the road…that is how receiving the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Awards (LKY) Awards have impacted students. In 1998 Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew donated $555,000 from the proceeds of the special edition of his Memoirs to ITE. ITE used this donation to launch the prestigious LKY Awards, namely the LKY Technology Awards, the LKY Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) Awards and the LKY Model Student Awards. Given out annually since 2000 to ITE students who exhibit exemplary behaviour, display leadership qualities and perform outstandingly in sports and CCAs, the LKY Awards aimed to reward students and inspire them to strive for greater heights in life. To date, a total of 205 ITE students have been awarded the LKY Awards since its introduction. This includes the 25 who won the accolades this year. So what significance did winning the Awards have for them? How have these changed their outlook on life? Are there breakthroughs for the LKY Technology Award projects? InfinITE tracks down past winners for the answers… Well
Worth the Hard Work
Project
Earns Patent Rights One
award even attained patent rights – the Hands-Free Otah Flipping
Mechanism, which received the LKY Technology Award in 2002. This machine
automates the flipping of otahs during the grilling process. This fuss-free
method of cooking otahs is a boon for otah sellers. Said Roy
Tan, Section Head/Mechanical Technology, ITE College Central (MacPherson Campus): “This simple, yet ingenious mechanism, has helped ITE students
realise that with their technical skills – and a bit of imagination
– they can invent useful devices to improve the lives of others.” Getting the LKY CCA Award has been a strong encouragement to Mohd Akbar Khan bin Akhtar. Akbar, an Electronics graduate from ITE College West (Balestier Campus), received the award in 2002 for excelling in fencing and community service. “This award really motivated me; it makes me realise that I have the potential to do so much more beyond my studies,” said Akbar, who spent his polytechnic years coaching Balestier Campus students in fencing. Now in his National Service, Akbar continues to give tuition to Secondary One students in Mathematics and English for the Association of Muslim Professionals– something he has done since his ITE days.
Take Nur Dinniyati Julaimi for example. An inspiring national Pencak Silat athlete who found time to give motivational talks to encourage fellow ITE students to excel in their endeavours. This despite her busy training schedule and demanding work assignments. Said the first-year Diploma in Interior Design student at Singapore Polytechnic: “I’m motivated to succeed because I want to be a role model for present ITE students. I want to inspire them with my achievements.”
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“The
prestige linked to the Award has motivated us to work hard for it,”
agreed Wilson Lee Hing Boon, a graduate of ITE College Central (MacPherson
Campus) who led his team mates to winning the LKY Technology Award in
2005 for inventing the Walking Aid for the Visually Handicapped. 
‘Hands-On,
Minds-On, Hearts-On’ Role Models to Their Peers