Eighteen top ITE graduates receive distinguished awards from Second Minister for Education, Dr Maliki Osman
The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) held its annual Graduation Ceremony on 29 July 2024, to recognise the achievements of the Class of 2024.
A total of 11,964 students graduated from ITE in Academic Year 2023/2024. Of these, 604 received the Diploma with Merit (DWM) or Certificate of Merit (COM) for being among the top graduates of their cohort while 222 were awarded Course Medals for topping their respective courses.
At the Ceremony, ITE honoured its outstanding graduates through the following Awards:
- 18 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
- e2i Gold Medal
- IES Engineering Award
- 10 Tay Eng Soon Scholarships
Second Minister for Education, Dr Maliki Osman, presented the 18 Top Graduate Awards. Another 15 graduates also received the Outstanding Progress Award at the Ceremony, in recognition of their perseverance in overcoming challenges to complete their course. More details on all the Awards can be found in Annex A.
Creating her Own Light
Among the top graduates is Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal recipient, Esther Joice Tan Xuan Ting.
Esther developed an aspiration to become an educator, after being inspired by the care she received from her secondary school teachers. She also admired her aunt, who was an early childhood teacher. This led her to pursue the Higher Nitec in Early Childhood Education course, after completing the Nitec in Business Services course.
However, Esther’s journey has been challenging. Her father contracted cancer when she was in Secondary Three. This was followed by various health problems over the years. Being the only child, she assumed the responsibility of caring for him. Despite the difficult circumstances, Esther was determined to excel at ITE and distinguished herself as an all-rounder. Passionate about singing, she joined ITE’s That Acapella Group and became its President and Music Director. She was also the Senior President of the Student Icons group that hosts campus tours for secondary schools.
Switching Paths
Sri Mardiah Binte Suharman is a recipient of The Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medal who embarked on a career change to pursue a higher calling.
Sri was a senior cabin crew and cabin service director at Qatar Airways, over a 15-year career with the airline. The disruption to the aviation industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic prompted her to reassess her career path. Inspired by the valiance of healthcare workers in Singapore’s COVID-19 battle, Sri felt a calling to pursue her childhood dream of being a nurse. She then decided to leave her job and join the Nitec in Nursing course.
Not having studied for more than 20 years, the return to school was tough for Sri. With the support of her lecturers and classmates, she adapted quickly. Besides excelling academically, Sri also sought to make a difference. She helmed various community service projects, as President of the Singapore Nurses Association Student Chapter at ITE.
Going Beyond
Chua Jun Jie Leon is a recipient of the Singapore Business Federation Gold Medal who found his potential at ITE.
Despite being diagnosed with dyslexia, Leon always aimed to do well in his studies. After graduating from the Nitec in Mechanical Engineering course, Leon opted to pursue the Technical Engineer Diploma in Machine Technology as it would allow him to obtain a Diploma in just two years.
Although he found it difficult at times to keep up with the pace of learning, he did not let that limit his potential and worked tirelessly to catch up in his studies. His efforts paid off, as he exceeded his own expectations to emerge as the top graduate of his course. Leon credits ITE for teaching him the value of perseverance.
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Mohammad Rezal S/O Abdul Lathiff is a recipient of the Singapore Precision Engineering & Technology Association Gold Medal who built his potential at ITE despite facing setbacks.
From watching his uncle fix electrical issues at home, Rezal gained an interest in electrical work at a young age. He found it intriguing that connecting a few wires could power up devices. This led him to enrol in the Nitec in Electronics, Computer Networking & Communications course at ITE. However, Rezal did not do well and chose not to continue his studies. Regretting this decision later, he re-enrolled in the same course after National Service and successfully graduated.
To further pursue his passion in the electrical field, Rezal progressed to ITE’s Work-Study Diploma in Electrical Engineering course. He became recognised for his strong work proficiency, and earned a double promotion within two years. Rezal plans to continue upgrading himself and pursue an electrical engineering degree in 2025.
The full profiles of the 18 top graduates can be found in Annex B.
Recognising Exemplary Progress
Showing strong commitment to self-improvement, Roszaimah Bte Zainudin is one of the recipients of the Outstanding Progress Award.
Roszaimah had a childhood dream of working in passenger services at the airport. This came about after she visited Changi Airport as a child and became amazed by the high service standards she witnessed there. To pursue her aspiration, she enrolled in the Higher Nitec in Passenger Services course after completing the Nitec in Travel & Tourism Services course.
However, Roszaimah struggled at the start of her Higher Nitec course. By then, she had started working part-time to support herself and her family. She found it difficult to cope with her studies while juggling part-time work.
Through the constant encouragement of her lecturers, Roszaimah caught up in her studies. She also developed a strong determination to keep improving and secure a brighter future for herself. Regarded as a role model by her lecturers, she even helped to mentor her classmates in their schoolwork.
“My greatest motivation is to make my family proud. The setbacks I faced taught me the importance of hard work. I have to work hard to get to where I want to be.”
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 [2 awardees] |
| 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. |
| Singapore Precision Engineering & Technology Association (SPETA) Gold Medal [1 awardee] |
| The SPETA Gold Medal is awarded to a top performing graduate of the Work-Study Diploma Programme (Engineering/IT-related), working in the manufacturing industry and has made outstanding contributions at the workplace. Introduced in 2023, the SPETA Gold Medal is sponsored by the Singapore Precision Engineering & Technology Association (SPETA). The recipient will receive the SPETA Gold Medal and $600 cash. |
| e2i Gold Medal [2 awardees] |
| The e2i Gold Medal was introduced in 2016 to promote lifelong learning among adult learners to increase their employability, and to motivate and give recognition to ITE Continuing Education & Training (CET) graduates for their upgrading efforts and achievements. Top ITE CET graduates will receive the e2i Gold Medal and $600 cash, donated by the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). |
| IES Engineering Award [1 awardee] |
| Introduced in 2013, the IES Engineering Award is awarded to a top graduate for outstanding performance in an Engineering course and contributions in Engineering-related projects and activities. The IES Engineering Award is sponsored by the Institution of Engineers, Singapore. The top Engineering graduate will receive a Plaque and $600 cash. |
| Other Awards |
The ITE Course Medals are awarded to outstanding Certificate of Merit or Diploma with Merit holders in each course. Recipients will receive the Gold, Silver or Bronze Course Medal and a cash quantum of $300, $200 and $100 respectively. Course Medals awards are donated by relevant trade/professional associations and companies.
The Tay Eng Soon Scholarship (TESS) is presented to outstanding ITE graduates who have performed well academically and attained good co-curricular activity records. The TESS is open to ITE graduates pursuing a full-time Diploma course in ITE or the polytechnics. Selection for this award is based on merit.
The TESS is funded by the TESS Fund which was established in 1993 from donations received from companies, individuals and staff of ITE, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic, in memory of the late Dr Tay Eng Soon, former Chairman of ITE and Minister-in-Charge of polytechnic and technical education from 1981 to 1993.
Introduced in 2023, the ITE Outstanding Progress Awards are awarded to exemplary graduates who have shown strong perseverance in overcoming challenges to complete their course, displayed exemplary conduct, and made valuable contributions to their College and community. The recipient will receive a Plaque and $600 cash. |