Passion drove them to success in ITE

Mr Aloysius Moh was a living stereotype of students in the Normal (Technical) stream.

Dispirited and rebellious, the teenager failed most of his examinations, got into fights and vandalised school property.

The detention room was his "second home".

Then he witnessed his mother, Madam Tan, crying in front of him for the first time after a parent-teacher meeting when he was 16.

That night, the teen was sent out of the three-room HDB flat and slept on the staircase landing. That experience jolted him back to his senses.

Mr Moh, now 19, told The New Paper: "All my mother wanted was for me to live life to the fullest... I promised her that the next time she cried, it would be tears of happiness."

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He was named valedictorian at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduation ceremony yesterday.

Having taken a Nitec in Aerospace Avionics, Mr Moh was also awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal. Mr Moh worked with the non-profit Bone Marrow Donor Programme to drive a successful bone marrow donation project on campus.

He is also an active volunteer with Marsiling Community Club's Youth Executive Committee, as well as an Ambassador at the Istana Heritage Gallery, leading tours for foreign delegates.

Madam Tan, who single-handedly raised him from the age of four, could not be happier for her only child, telling TNP that she is thankful "Aloysius met the right people in ITE who have helped him succeed today".

Mr Moh is now in his first year of Aeronautical Engineering at Singapore Polytechnic.

Mr Uriah Tan, the sole recipient of the IES Engineering Award, displayed academic excellence in his Electronics Engineering course.

As an avid gamer, the graduate showed a genuine interest in computer programming. This cemented his decision to switch from studying Aerospace Technology to pursue a Higher Nitec diploma related to information technology.

The 21-year-old, who is pursuing a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Singapore Polytechnic, was overjoyed to receive the medal. He said: "As long as you have passion for something, you will eventually succeed."