Melody Zaccheus: On the write track

Melody is only the second polytechnic graduate to receive the SPH scholarship.

COMMUNICATIONS & Media Management (CMM) alumnus Melody Zaccheus is the only polytechnic graduate among the seven recipients for the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) scholarship this year.

The scholarship is traditionally awarded to A Level graduates with academic and CCA excellence to pursue a university education either locally or overseas. Interestingly, Melody is only the second polytechnic graduate to receive this award and in fact, the first, Cassandra Chew, is also an alumnus of Temasek Polytechnic.

Melody had served her internship with The Sunday Times in her final year, during which she won the commendation of senior editors and was talent-spotted for the scholarship award. During the internship, she had the opportunity to interview people from all walks of life. One of the interviewees who touched Melody the most was an 18-year old who had to put her studies on hold to take care of nine younger siblings while her parents tried to make ends meet. To Melody, such encounters add to her own experience of life and allow her to see a side of Singapore she would have rarely had the opportunity to see.

While at TP, Melody was involved in the CMM Council and wrote for the CMM-produced campus newspaper, Stop Press. The budding journalist gave credit for her success to the strong foundation in journalism and the media she gained while studying at TP. Melody also cited her parents as role models who “taught [her] from young that hard work, discipline, passion and faith go a long way.”

Melody is currently attached to The New Paper and will be pursuing a Bachelor of Arts & Social Sciences degree at the National University of Singapore. Upon graduation, she will be on a four-year bond with SPH and intends to travel the world. We can all look forward to reading Melody’s pieces in the near future.