Seventeen top ITE graduates receive distinguished awards from Minister for Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing

The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) held its annual Graduation Ceremony on 21 July 2023, to celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2023.

A total of 14,091 students graduated from ITE in Academic Year 2022/2023. Of these, 736 received the Diploma with Merit (DWM) or Certificate of Merit (COM) for being among the top performers of their cohort. Among the DWM and COM holders, 239 were awarded Course Medals for topping their respective courses.

At the Ceremony, ITE recognised its outstanding graduates through the following Awards:

• 17 Top Graduate Awards, comprising:
  • Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal
  • Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal
  • The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal
  • Singapore National Employers Federation Gold Medal
  • Singapore Business Federation Gold Medal
  • Singapore Precision Engineering & Technology Association Gold Medal ^NEW Award
  • e2i Gold Medal
  • IES Engineering Award
  • 10 Tay Eng Soon Scholarship Awards
  • 9 Outstanding Progress Awards ^NEW Award

Minister for Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing, presented the 17 Top Graduate Awards and 9 Outstanding Progress Awards to the recipients. More details on all the Awards can be found in Annex A.

The Power of Resilience

Among the 17 top graduates is Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal recipient, Malcolm Chew Jia Rui.

Raised by a single mother, Malcolm grew up under challenging financial circumstances. After his N-Levels, he put his studies on hold to work and support his family. Being the oldest child, he believed it was his responsibility to look after his family.

After his National Service, Malcolm decided to resume his studies as he recognised the importance of education in building a stable career. Fueled by his passion for helping others, he joined the Nitec in Nursing course. At ITE, Malcolm juggled his studies with part-time work and co-curricular commitments. He distinguished himself as an exemplary all-rounder, receiving the 2023 Lee Kuan Yew Model Student Award.

Building a Better Future
D Lemuel Dasson is a recipient of The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal who developed his potential at ITE.

When Lemuel was young, he enjoyed watching cartoons and reading children’s books. This sparked his fascination with drawings. After his N-Levels, Lemuel enrolled in the Nitec in Digital Animation course but found little interest in it. He changed to the Nitec in Space Design Architecture course shortly but did not do well, due to lack of motivation in his studies.

During his National Service, Lemuel reflected on his future and decided to take his studies seriously. Thereafter, he enrolled in the Higher Nitec in Architectural Technology course with a strong resolve to do well. Lemuel actively seized opportunities to better himself, participating in various competitions. These experiences honed his leadership skills and built his confidence. With a passion for helping others and volunteering, he also took part in numerous community service projects.

Honing her Craft
Jade Yeo Ee-Fay is a recipient of the Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal who pursued her passion at ITE.

After her N-Levels, Jade qualified for polytechnic admission but opted to enrol in ITE as she wanted to take a course related to her interest. With a passion for make-up, she enrolled in the Nitec in Beauty & Wellness course.

At ITE, Jade excelled while juggling part-time work and her studies. She led a team to create a series of innovative beauty products, which clinched the Merit and Audience Choice (Livestream Pitch) Awards at the #startable entrepreneurship programme organised by Nanyang Technological University and ITE. Jade is known for her selfless nature, and would readily help her classmates in their studies. She has progressed to ITE’s Technical Diploma in Beauty & Wellness Management to further hone her craft.

Rising Above All
Muhammad Haikal Radzuan Bin Ramli, who rose above his circumstances to excel, is a recipient of the Singapore National Employers Federation Gold Medal.

Following his O-Levels, Haikal chose to work instead of furthering his studies. He worked in a technical support role at a music studio, where he discovered his aptitude for Information Technology (IT). This led him to enrol in the Higher Nitec in IT Systems & Networks course, after his National Service.

The return to school was not easy, as his mother fell ill shortly after and passed away. To support himself, he worked part-time as a private-hire driver. Despite his challenging situation, he was keen to further his education after completing his Higher Nitec course.

With the encouragement of his lecturer, Haikal joined the Work-Study Diploma (WSDip) in IT System Integration as it allowed him to study while earning a salary. Through hard work and diligence, Haikal emerged as the top graduate of his WSDip course. He also earned a promotion at work, upon graduation.

The full profiles of the 17 top graduates can be found in Annex B.

Recognising Exemplary Progress
One of the new awards introduced at the ITE Graduation Ceremony 2023 is the Outstanding Progress Award. It recognises exemplary graduates who have shown strong perseverance in overcoming challenges to complete their course.

Muhammad Hasif Bin Mohamad Hanafi is one of nine recipients of the Award. After his N-Levels, Hasif was unsuccessful in applying for the Higher Nitec in IT System & Networks course under the Direct Entry Scheme to Polytechnic Programme. He settled for the Nitec in Visual Communication course, but withdrew from it after five months due to lack of interest. Upon reflection, he felt that he was more interested in machines and a more hands-on course. This led him to apply for the Nitec in Mechanical Technology course, when the next admission exercise started. Hasif excelled in the course, while juggling part-time work, and graduated with a near perfect Grade Point Average score of 3.962. He believes in helping others, and would take time to mentor his classmates in their studies.

Although Hasif could progress to a polytechnic, he was hesitant as he believed it would be a challenge to support himself through a polytechnic Diploma programme. At the same time, he preferred to upgrade his skills through more hands-on training. This led him to join ITE’s WSDip in Mechanical Systems Engineering.

“My parents are my greatest source of motivation. I want to prove to them that I can succeed,” Hasif said.

 

 

Released on: 21 July 2023

 

Annex A

Details on ITE Top Graduate Awards

At the ITE Graduation Ceremony each year, ITE recognises graduates who have performed well in their courses with various awards.

Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) Gold Medal [3 awardees]

Donated in 1999 by the then Senior Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, from the sale of his memoirs, the Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) Gold Medal is awarded to the top ITE graduate of each ITE College, who has excelled in his or her course of study and co-curricular activities, and has made contributions to the community or in enriching College life. He/she will receive the LKY Gold Medal and $600 cash.

Tay Eng Soon (TES) Gold Medal [3 awardees]

The Tay Eng Soon (TES) Gold Medal was introduced in 1994, following the establishment of the TES Scholarship Fund to promote technical and polytechnic education. The Fund was established in 1993 through donations from companies, individuals and staff of ITE and the polytechnics, in memory of the late Dr Tay Eng Soon, former Chairman of ITE, and Minister in-charge of polytechnic and technical education (1981 – 1993). An outstanding ITE graduate from each ITE College, who has achieved excellent course performance, participated actively in co-curricular activities and contributed to the well-being and development of his or her college, will receive the TES Gold Medal and $600 cash funded by the TES Scholarship Fund.

The Ngee Ann Kongsi (TNAK) Gold Medal [3 awardees]

The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal is awarded to an outstanding ITE graduate from each ITE College, for his or her excellent course performance, active participation in co- curricular activities and contributions to his or her College. The gold medals, first presented in 2018, are funded by The Ngee Ann Kongsi, a non-profit Teochew philanthropic foundation actively involved in educational, cultural and charitable activities in Singapore. Over the years, the Kongsi has made significant contributions towards the enrichment of Singapore society and its education scene. The recipient of the award will receive the TNAK Gold Medal and $600 cash.

Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) Gold Medal [3 awardees]

The SNEF Gold Medal is awarded to the top performing graduate of the ITE Work Study Diploma Programme who has excelled in his or her course of study and has made contributions to workplace training, company projects and activities. The recipient will receive the SNEF Gold Medal and $600 cash.

Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Gold Medal [1 awardee]

The SBF Gold Medals are awarded to the top graduates of the Technical Engineer Diploma/ Technical Diploma Programme for outstanding course performance. Introduced in 2022, the SBF Gold Medal is sponsored by the Singapore Business Federation. The recipient will receive the SBF Gold Medal and $600 cash.