Address by Ms Low Khah Gek, CEO/ITE, at the ITE Student Achievers’ Awards 2023 Presentation Ceremony

Ms Ivana Chua, General Manager, Group Corporate Communications, Keppel Corporation Limited

Parents

Award Recipients

ITE Colleagues and Students

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

We are gathered here this morning to celebrate the holistic achievements of 416 ITE students who have demonstrated excellence in their studies, CCAs and technology innovations.

In ITE, we strive to provide our students a rich and vibrant campus life with many opportunities for them to discover and pursue their passion and be challenged to provide solutions to problems encountered by the community.

Today’s awardees have excelled in and out of the classroom. More importantly, they have demonstrated strength of character and qualities of Resilience, Innovation, Steadfastness and Empathy (RISE). With these, they will go very far in life and continue to achieve and impact others.

Three Student Stories

Let me illustrate how the awardees demonstrate RISE through the experiences and achievements of three students.

1. Koh Qi Fang (LKY Model Student Award)Qi Fang studied Nitec in Web Applications at College Central. Qi Fang lost her mother to illness at a young age and as the eldest child, she then took on the responsibility of caring for her younger brother and aged grandmother. Despite her busy family commitments, Qi Fang has always stayed positive and motivated. She excelled in her studies, participated actively in CCAs, challenged herself through competitions and always gave of her best. In May last year, when Qi Fang and her teammates won top prizes in two entrepreneurship competitions, she made the decision to donate 10 per cent of the cash prizes to charity. We applaud Qi Fang for her big heartedness. Qi Fang embodies the qualities of resilience, steadfastness and empathy. She is a role model to her peers and a deserving candidate of the Lee Kuan Yew Model Student Award.  

2. Lingesh S/O Scahuvanantham (LKY CCA Award)Lingesh pursued Nitec in Business Administration course at ITE College Central.  Lingesh is dyslexic but has never allowed this to limit his potential. He was active in several CCAs and was always ready to take on new challenges. Lingesh demonstrated much passion, energy and empathy in the volunteering activities of ITE College Central’s Rotaract Club. He also demonstrated leadership qualities and became the Club’s President. He led numerous community service projects. Lingesh’s desire to consider starting his own business after his studies was sparked through his involvement in the Entrepreneurship Club. He has boundless energy. Besides his studies and the two CCAs, he also became a Student Councillor to look after the students’ interests and create opportunities for student bonding on campus. Lingesh truly deserves the LKY CCA Award.

3. ITE College East iStrike Team (LKY Technology Award)
   ITE students are encouraged to apply their knowledge and skills to provide innovative solutions to problems encountered by the Singapore community. Ten teams of students took on this challenge to vie for the LKY Technology Awards. Their solutions included ways to prevent fires, reduce microplastics in the environment, monitor beehives and so on. The ten project exhibits of our LKY Technology Award winners are displayed at the foyer outside the Auditorium and I encourage you to view the projects and interact with the students.ITE College East iStrike Team comprises four Nitec students in Mechanical Technology and Built Environment (Mechanical and Electrical Services). They wanted people suffering from cerebral palsy to be able to enjoy a bowling game. The team designed a special bowling ramp that allows the user to adjust and launch the bowling ball. iStrike team’s prototype was  tested and well received by Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS) who saw much potential in this new assistive device. We are glad that with this device those people with cerebral palsy will be able to enjoy bowling, like the rest of us.  

Conclusion

To all award recipients, congratulations on your accomplishments! I hope when you look back at your time in ITE, you would recognise those years as the most formative years of your lives. Given your Resilience, Innovation, Steadfastness and Empathy (RISE), I am confident you will always rise above life’s challenges and go very far in life, having more achievements and creating significant impact at your future workplace and the Singapore community.

I am sure your loved ones who are present today are very proud of you. Do join me to thank your families, the ITE lecturers and your peers for supporting, believing and enriching you.

Finally, I also wish to thank Keppel Care Foundation for their generous donations to ITE. The 175 Keppel Care Foundation Scholarships and Keppel Merit Awards have enabled us to support deserving students through their studies at ITE. 

Congratulations and best wishes to one and all.

Thank you.