2012 – Project Prizes & Special Awards

Soon Genliang Kent

A true animal lover, Soon Genliang Kent had wanted to work with animals ever since he was a little boy.

This passion spurred him to take up the Veterinary Technology course at TP after his A level examinations. It was also the key to him winning the Petrochemical Corporation prize at the School of Applied Science's Major Project Symposium. There, Kent impressed with his project management ability, in-depth knowledge of the study area, clarity in explanation and strong presentation skills. All these swayed the judges' decision in favour of his collaborative research work on the behavioural study on captive Atlantic puffins at the Jurong Bird Park.

The title of his project, "A Study on the Effects of Diet, Burrow Dimensions and Light Cycle on the Breeding Behaviour, Plumage Colour and Reproduction of Captive Atlantic Puffin in Jurong Bird Park", tells us that Kent's research not only had a clear focus but also had the hallmark of a true animal enthusiast. His trailblazing work involved the study of the effects of several factors that influence breeding habits, and the optimisation of these factors in attempts to breed captive Atlantic puffins. There have been many studies on breeding Atlantic puffins in the wild but little is known or published about breeding captive Atlantic puffins.

Although there were no pufflings, or baby puffins, in the short five months of his study, he still managed to observe significant breeding behaviour and optimised many factors such as light cycle, feeding methods, breeding areas and environment. He also charted enrichments to the various identified factors based on his observations, with the goal of increasing the breeding behaviour. Kent's research also presented him with the opportunity to study penguins at close range, a bonus truly appreciated by the avid animal lover.

Instrumental to Kent's documentation of his observational research work was Dr Minerva Bongco- Nuqui, the Park curator, and Ms Angelin Lim Kai Ling, Kent's supervisor, who patiently guided him throughout the study. Kent is also appreciative of his colleagues who made his stint at the Jurong Bird Park a memorable one. He also attributes his resolve to stay motivated and keep learning to the encouragement provided by his friends and family, especially his sister.

Kent is currently working at the Mount Pleasant Veterinary Centre and plans to further his studies in the medical field.

Jennifer Wee Zhen Zhen
Sharifah Adibah Binte Syed Zainal

It had always been their strong belief that children could reach their true potential under the guidance of caring and nurturing adults. They were also intrigued by how people think and behave differently. As such, with their parents' and teachers' support, Jennifer and Adibah enrolled into the Psychology Studies diploma course at TP, and took on the Early Childhood specialisation.

Common to their experience at TP was their passion for learning and teaching. It saw them achieving high academic standards and an equally high level of commitment during their internship when working with children.

Both PAP Community Foundation scholars, they showed great ability juggling their studies with other responsibilities. Much to their joy, they worked with children during their internship and their dedication shone
bright. In fact, their overall achievements made them stand out in the cohort of students pursuing the specialisation.

Both have also clearly displayed their belief in paying back to society and desire to touch the lives of others. Since 2009, Jennifer has been mentoring less-privileged primary school students. Also, as the executive member at OMEP (World Organisation for Early Childhood Education) Singapore student chapter, she leads 10 volunteers to educate, entertain and inspire pre-schoolers. Adibah, also a member of OMEP, participated in a number of projects and organised a reading programme for the Metropolitan YMCA.

As for the secret to their success, Jennifer credits hers to the people around her. She also says: "Learn something new every day. Value kaizen over hubris. Push yourself out of your comfort zone, improve yourself and others, and spend time doing meaningful things. The sky is the limit!"

Adibah, on the other hand, strongly believes that determination coupled with creativity and flexibility would allow anyone to succeed: "Press on despite the challenges and always be prepared for change by being flexible. In addition, passion is what will drive you to achieve so much more than what you can ever imagine."

They have both certainly shown that.

The Recipients:
- Chong Si Jie
- Leow Si Ying Isabella
- Tan Liyou
- Tan Ning Xin

Jeanette Tan Yee Ching

Her smile can brighten the darkest day and that is the first thing you will notice about Jeanette Tan. If you've ever have a bad day, then you need her smile to make the dark cloud lift and bring in the sunshine. But she is bright in more ways than this. Jeanette has displayed her bright mind and today she graduates with five distinctions and 12 A's and an enviable cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.74.

It was her initial ambition to be a radio deejay that attracted her to the Communications & Media Management diploma course. Three years on, this keen traveller discovered that the possibilities of a career in Singapore's dynamic media industry is endless. She now dreams of fronting her very own travelogue, rivaling her favourite presenter Samantha Brown. Jeannette describes her time at TP as "the most enriching experience" where learning took her beyond the textbooks. As part of the course, Jeanette spent six months as an intern at
TODAY newspaper, where she honed her sub-editing skills. Following her internship, it was only natural for her to take on the role of sub-editor for TP's campus newspaper, Stop Press.

If you add honesty, humility and a giving nature to her list of virtues, you will get the qualities that make Jeanette a great young lady. She demonstrates a caring attitude towards her peers. As a scrapbooking enthusiast, Jeanette dedicates her time to creating personal pieces for her good friends as mementos. Her commitment to doing her best has brought her to the notice of many who can vouch for her excellence. She is a young lady with a good attitude and a great aptitude to understanding inter-personal communication and this will be her distinguishing mark in an ever changing global landscape.

Jeanette displays great enthusiasm and engagement in everything she does. She has strong inter-personal and team skills which have empowered her to get her team members to work cooperatively for collaborative achievement. As a member of the diploma's Student Council, Jeanette was actively involved in key events such as TP Open House and MediaBiz Awards. A capable leader who is well-respected by her peers, Jeanette flourishes in a people-oriented environment.

Jeanette currently freelances at TODAY while awaiting admission into a local university. There is no denying her ability to excel in her chosen field and in her pursuit of further education. This inaugural MDA Excellence Award recipient would truly be an asset in any organisation as her enthusiasm, energy and enterprise will see her move up and move on as she grows to understand the dynamics of corporate reality.

Jeanette, we wish you the brightest of futures and keep the bright smile on!

Liu Guoquan Raymond

Raymond Liu Guoquan is extraordinary. His is a rags-to-riches tale from the academic point of view. He did not do very well in his PSLE and got into the Normal (Academic) stream in secondary school.

At a young age, he fell in love with computer games. It took over his days and nights and his academic performance suffered. But in secondary three, he woke up. He saw how his parents were so saddened by his neglect of school and so he made the big turnaround. He ended up making news in Singapore by becoming the top O-level student from the Normal (Academic) stream for 2008. He was also the winner of the Lee Kuan Yew award for his outstanding academic performance in the 2008 results line-up.

Today we see him live up to this excellent performance again. He is the top student of the Accounting & Finance diploma course, with a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.96, a mere 0.04 short of a perfect 4 point touchdown.

His father, a retired accountant, has been his pillar of strength and role model. It was his father's perseverance to perform and get his professional accounting qualifications that spurred Raymond on the same pathway.
If you ask this young man what drives him, his short answer is his intrinsic thirst for knowledge. In his need to learn new things and experience working in a global environment, he packed his bags and went to Shanghai
to do his internship with SBA Stone Forest. In the same manner, he took on his Pace-setter's role at TP with panache because he felt that he needed to build his confidence. Pace-setters, the premier TP student ambassador group, gave him opportunities to organise, manage and maximise his potential for meeting people, and improving his personality. His guiding words are those of Sir Winston Churchill: "Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." You already know this is a young fighter who will remain focused on achieving. His advice to all students is to start achieving early. "Do well in your first semester and you will do well in all other semesters because success is a habit and it breeds more success". Raymond has applied to be admitted into one of the local universities.

Continue to make us proud, Raymond, as we are proud of you today. Excellence is indeed personified in you!

The Recipients:

- Edmund Lim Guo Rong
- Muhammad Faruq Bin Kadri
- Shun Puay Leng Winnie
- Tan Peng Hui
- Tan Shen Jie Ivan
- Tan Yue Ming Deborah

The Recipients:

- Amelia Siah Mun Ying

- Chng Wei Jia Kelly

- Heng Wei Ling

- Oh Juncong Jason

- Tan Wen Wei Kenze

The Recipients:

- Kim Jamie Neubronner

- Lee Xin Yi Phylicia

- Leroy Lim Ying Rong

The Recipients:

- Cheong Yi Jie Kaye

- Ho Gen Zhi Gerwyn

- Lee Sze Hui Grace

- Lim Zheng Li

- Tan Liyou

- Tan Ning Xin

Edward Denis Thanaseelan

With his admirably tall physique and affable demeanour, it comes as no surprise that Edward Denis Thanaseelan commands attention. However, while making heads turn, this avid reader would much prefer making headlines. Denis has a wonderful relationship with words and they have become his source of inspiration.

Eight years ago, this young man won a writing competition organised by the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). Thus began the story of a teenage journalist. His first article, which he still keeps, earned a spot in The Straits Times. There was no holding him back from then on. He took over the reins of his secondary school's newspaper, Voice d'Monfort, and he worked tirelessly to ensure that each edition made it to the printing press.
Following the O level examinations, Denis took a gap year to play semi- pro soccer and travel, a
luxury not many can dream of having, but one which proved to be a great learning experience for a budding journalist. After National Service, Denis enrolled in the Communications & Media Management (CMM) diploma course at TP. Even as a freshman, the driven Denis had one goal – to hone his skills in journalism and to excel in it. He subsequently obtained distinctions in Journalism 1, News Writing and Journalism 2, Feature Writing and an A grade in Basic Sub-Editing.

At TP, he was the managing editor of the campus newspaper, Stop Press, and that paved the way for him to intern at The New Paper for six months. As a cub reporter, Denis regularly contributed articles and cites crime stories as his favourite pieces.

Denis is not just a writer. His drive to excel has ensured that he maintained his commitment to other key areas of his course – broadcasting and marketing. Overall, he achieved an enviable cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.73.

This well-rounded individual was also an active member of CMM's Student Council and participated in several polytechnic-wide events, including the Youth Olympic Games torch relay and the annual Open House. In between playing in a church band on weekends, the thoughtful Denis also spends time teaching at St. Vincent de Paul.

Denis plans to continue writing for the newspapers while waiting to further his studies. He has been offered provisional entrance to both local and overseas universities and is deciding on his options.
Truly believing the pen is mightier than the sword, Denis is undoubtedly a deserving inaugural recipient of the SPH Journalism Award.

Ratanaporn Jessie Lam

Dreams have always fascinated and captivated Jessie. To her, they are always exciting and fluid – having no real sense of gravity or time. Therefore, in the realm of dreams she finds infinite possibilities and opportunities for her Final Year Project to explore, discover and create.

With her innate sense of visual drama, she used intriguing and captivating images in "Dreams", and shared with viewers some commonly experienced emotions through her creative photography. Jessie's strong visual emphasis on the expression of emotive ideas led her to produce a series of powerful dream-like images that are illusory, surreal and visually mysterious.

Well-liked and exemplary in her conduct, Jessie is a highly motivated and industrious student, and is clearly outstanding in her cohort.

Mohamed Kadri B Mohamed Salleh

Inspired by the issue of flooding and rising tides around the banks of Jurong Lake, Kadri turned a problem into a creative solution by exploring alternatives for the community to engage with water, enabling people to enjoy the rain and water body again.

In his project, a proposed bridge which takes on an abstracted form of waves, connects the existing Japanese Garden and Science Centre. The platform level changes and responds sensitively to the different water levels during flooding situations, re-interpreting and challenging the notion of engagement with water with PUB's Active-Beautiful-Clean water programme.

This new connection with water also provides an opportunity for activities to encourage the community to learn about biodiversity. Sustainable features such as algae farming and eco-concrete stones were also introduced as part of the design. The bridge also extends and carves into the water edges and the existing contours and the spaces further forms activity spaces for gigs and youth expression.

Multitudes of the Sea is one project that is able to evocatively respond to the site context, turning issues into solutions and encouraging the community to come close to nature once again.

Lim Yong Jing Leroy

Leroy was unwavering in his pursuit to create the ultimate outdoor space by capitalising on the site problems encountered. He painstakingly shaped one model after another to fully grasp the overall site context and topography and understand how it could be best shaped to create an unprecedented design for extreme cycling in an urban context. Inspired by the form of plants, he was meticulous in his execution by planning his sequence of experiences through the eyes of an extreme cyclist to achieve design excellence.

Leroy's commitment to the environment has inspired him to create sustainable designs. He integrated the site conditions to harvest rainwater, cleverly utilising the MRT viaducts into his "Growth" project to form the spine of his design.

The design is original, exciting and pragmatic, while retaining a simplicity of form. Leroy's passion and drive were clearly evident in the in-depth design processes he employed throughout the project.

Lee Zi Jing Joel

Emphatically, Joel Lee Zi Jing has proven to be a strong concept artist, clearly showing his creative imaginations and design capabilities in his personal pet project, "Solace". In this elaborately illustrated book, he has shown to be both a creative illustrator and a consummate communicator, bringing to life his fantasy characters, vile imaginary creatures and spectacular environmental settings for a proposed feature screenplay.

His strong visual narrative leads readers through an enchanting journey of self discovery and what it means to find peace finally. The story tells of an adventurous young lady who, after losing her mother to creatures, goes on a journey with an elderly man who had saved her, to warn others of this monstrous threat and, on the way, discovers more about her own self.

The depth of Joel's research and his final execution is particularly evident; he consistently produces work of very high standard, often topping the cohort across the course. Joel is serious about his work and has shown maturity and strength of character to never lose sight of his goals.

Ng Qin Hui, Eunice

For Ng Qin Hui, Eunice, the idea of space is manifested in different aspects of our lives and our behaviours. Whether it is in the context of perception, relationships or self, she believes space defines the perimeters of our social distances, our body language and the physical space we are in.

"Interpreting Space" is likened to a language which expresses our individuality, our emotions and our lifestyles, and above all, the way we communicate with each other. Eunice uses typography, linear elements, geometric forms and shapes, combined with a palette of colours to engage and stimulate readers in her graphic communication.

Self-driven, meticulous, talented and conscientious, Eunice is a consistent performer, and can handle demanding expectations and projects thoroughly and intelligently.

Alicia Ang Chor Wen

While working on her Major Project, Alicia endeavoured to address an issue that had sparked a controversy amongst Singaporeans. Unlike many of us who have forgotten the layers of history in the form of unique tombstones and inscriptions at Bukit Brown, Alicia believed that preserving the heritage value of Bukit Brown was pertinent to our sense of community.

Titled "Bukit Brown Memoirs", the project saw Alicia paying homage to the famous and the ordinary by symbolically honouring them as pioneers of Singapore. Her proposal centred around the idea of preserving the graves and designing a heritage centre cum columbarium located at Fairy Point Hill to support the renewal of the collective sense of history. The centre would house documented works that offer stories of birth, life and death and exhumed graves of those buried in Bukit Brown.

As one goes through a journey of discovery within the interior spaces, each layer is slowly revealed, akin to revealing the layers of buried history. Alicia's proposal is a poetic and sensitive attempt to resolve an issue which is close to the heart of many Singaporeans. It is an attempt to revive our collective identity by paying homage to the deceased pioneers of Singapore.

Amy Loh Man Hua

In her collection, "Chrysalis", Amy brought to life her design idea for metamorphosis, connecting a natural process of the physical development of a butterfly to the different developing stages of a woman. What makes for
a captivating bride is not only a beautiful silhouette, but also a unique design and details that can make each one sparkle with her unique personality and character.

Amy is a professional in every way. She produces excellent quality work with a desire to create the best collection possible, and is wholly engaged in her work all the time. A passionate designer, she also exhibited her effectiveness in managing her time to complete all the garments on time while working on her final-year project.

Without a doubt, Amy is a talented designer who captures what her customer wants. More than that, she is also personable, punctual, reliable and spirited – all wonderful traits that make Amy who she is.

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Lee Gek Cheng, Samantha

Swans are often seen as a symbol of love or fidelity because they tend to mate for life. This beautiful creature inspired Samantha's wedding collection titled "Lushness and Splendour of Life". Each gown in the collection included many exciting enhancements, which showed Samantha's innate understanding of how to turn an abstract concept into a beautiful design. To define her collection, she used shapes and silhouettes of the swan, as well as enhanced embellishments.

A talented and imaginative designer, Samantha brings fresh and unique ideas to each garment. She also understands the value of knowing her customers and worked to build her unique branding. She worked tirelessly to produce her final collection which is of undoubtedly high quality.

Samantha is such a great mix of many different attributes; she is kind, creative, highly motivated and energetic. She also has excellent communication and inter-personal skills – so important in helping her understand what her customers want.

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Ng Cai Yu

In the Major Project collaboration, Cai Yu integrated her retail merchandising and visual merchandising skills, culminating in the business plan for a bridal boutique, Yvince. The name is derived from "evince" – a word suggesting the unveiling of one's charm and virtue.

Cai Yu carefully studied trends in the bridal industry, including pricing and competition to find her own strategic positioning in a teeming market. The translation of good market knowledge into a whole aesthetic body of works ranging from store design and window display to marketing collateral, speak volumes of her unusual ability to balance aesthetics, function and finance.

Her work shows congruence and practicality from the start to the end. Her designs show grace, charm and elegance to complement the wedding collections.

Chiam Yong Sheng Kevin

Challenging the concept of Electric Vehicle (EV) & Hybrid charging, Kevin's project, "Helix", seeks to redefine the refuelling experience while answering the doubts people associate with induction charging. Not overlooking any detail, Kevin meticulously scanned through the current technology and highlighted demands and concerns of drivers. His bold nature shines through as he brought the project up a notch when he collaborated with Greenlots, a local company that designs and delivers advanced charging networks for electric vehicles. Making the best of this mentorship, Kevin ensured that no stones were left unturned.

Working very closely with Greenlots, his perseverance came through when he discovered a new way of introducing an induction charge, eliminating drawbacks current products have. Be it a nut or bolt, Kevin's attention to such details clearly showed his level of dedication.

Courage is definitely one quality Kevin has as a designer. Questioning the fundamentals of refuelling a vehicle is testament to that. No flamboyant display of high-cost technologies or complicated user interfaces, he carefully met the needs of the user and packaged a simple model; one that is not only clean and polished on the surface, but also easy to operate. The result truly fits in with his design notion of organic essentialism; the fusion of form and function, nothing more, nothing less, just what is really needed.

Sensitivity to the context and user puts this project above par as the model's features are designed taking into account the users' behaviour and weather temperaments. All in all, Kevin had managed to deal out a holistic and feasible solution that coincides with current environment concerns.

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Lee Zi Jing Joel

In his outstanding final-year project, "Solace", Joel showed much maturity, acute sensitivity and creative flair, and he executed it with his trademark passion for details and commitment to work.

Joel has proved to be a strong concept artist, clearly showing his creative imagination. He is also an eloquent communicator, bringing to life his creations of fantasy characters, vile imaginary creatures and spectacular environmental settings for a proposed feature screenplay. His strong visual narrative and art direction transport readers through an enchanting journey of self- discovery and what it means finally, to find peace.

In the words of the professional judges, they were most impressed by "his passion which shows through in his work (which was) delivered with very high quality". It certainly outshone others in his cohort.

Mohammad Amirul Hairie B M A

Self-driven, creative and talented, Amirul is a perfectionist who loves challenges and would often spend hours meticulously laying down the tiniest of details to his project before he would approve of it himself. In fact, so demanding were his own creative expectations that he once forfeited a good grade with a late submission rather than send in a badly executed piece of work! His internship at a global advertising agency whetted his creative
appetite and stimulated his interest in advertising, design and photography.

His strong conceptual thinking and aesthetic flair, coupled with exceptional sensitivity towards design and execution are evident in the range of projects in his portfolio. But what captivated the judges most was the tantalising, mouth-watering imagery used in his project, "Greenhouse", that stood up to confront the age-old notion that fast food must be unhealthy.

To engage a new generation of health-conscious customers, his project proposed a 100 percent vegetarian menu for a fast food chain and an integrated marketing campaign which included a microsite, an app, and 'live' installations in the form of a greenhouse.

The judges from Wunderman/Comwerks had this to add about the project: "Amirul's work stood out from the rest with his distinct aesthetic style. For his projects, particularly "Greenhouse", there was a good blend of design, animation and photography that conveyed the brand's personality in a memorable manner. Amirul has also demonstrated his range and ability by delivering a high quality product. Such qualities will surely put him in good stead to become a great designer."

The Singapore Manufacturers' Federation Project Prize is awarded to students who have been outstanding in completing a challenging final-year project at the School of Engineering. Four graduates excelled in the successful development of their highly demanding project, while displaying enthusiasm, ingenuity and dedication; each was also outstanding in exercising initiative and problem-solving skills.

Goh Chun Kiat and Chee Kok Hao

Goh Chun Kiat and Chee Kok Hao developed an iPod application aimed to enable pupils to learn Hanyu Pinyin in a fun and interesting environment, to facilitate better retention of knowledge.

The three-part project firstly involved designing suitable teaching materials and exercises which could then be uploaded to the back-end portal, thus allowing the teachers to monitor each student's progress.

The second part was the creation of a pronunciation practice module to assist students in searching for the correct pronunciation of words, with relevant contextual examples.

Finally, they developed templates for teachers to create practice exercises and even generate questions.

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Serene Tan Si Pei

Serene Tan Si Pei worked on a wide range of projects which included search engine marketing, a complex strategy due to the variability of factors which have to be considered when implementing a business campaign, online business models to generate revenue and complex keyword research strategic process matrix to select niche marketing.

She also competed in national innovation competitions, winning top awards and many accolades. One outstanding example is her win in the NTU Ideas Inc Business Plan 2011 competition, where she was awarded $100,000 seed funding, and $10,000 cash prize for being the most innovative start-up.

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Zhu Lin

Zhu Lin worked on a business process improvement project in collaboration with DB Schenker Singapore. The aim was to optimise the operating processes of the HP-VMI warehouse supporting HP Alexandra Manufacturing, using lean Six-Sigma method. Throughout the project,
Zhu Lin demonstrated outstanding leadership and problem-solving skills.

As a result, 3D simulation was successfully created to model the entire VMI Hub operational processes using Flexsim and new processes and automation of report generation replaced manual work. This helped Schenker HP-VMI to reduce their total turnaround time and improve productivity. Zhu Lin's project was highly commended by the senior management of DB Schenker Singapore. The improved processes and procedures have been tested, approved, documented and implemented by the company.

Teh Kaiwen

To realise his goal of making cyberspace safer for users, Kaiwen worked on a Major Project titled "Facebook Forensics Tool Kit" in collaboration with a law enforcement agency in his final year. He soon impressed them with his creativity, high level of expertise, professionalism and commitment.

Working independently on this application, Kaiwen displayed considerable technical skills, as well as knowledge of digital media. Within a short space of time, he created a cloud forensic application, based on forensic principles, that is able to scour information from Facebook. In fact, Kaiwen's application was shortlisted as an entry for the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventor's Award 2012.

In 2011, Kaiwen was selected for internship at Interpol (International Criminal Police Organisation) in France. Attached to the Information Security Outreach Department, he was involved in laying the foundations for a Digital Forensics Repository that would be used by member countries of Interpol to aid in their investigation procedures. His enthusiasm, technical proficiency and intellectual competence earned him deservedly high commendation from his supervisors.

Displaying imagination and incorporating Human Computer Interaction principles, Kaiwen and his teammates created an application called "Smart Screen II", which won the Merit Award in the Tertiary Category of the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) Competition in 2011.

A keen learner with a deep passion for IT, Kaiwen always sought to learn beyond the curriculum. This led him
to acquire professional qualifications such as the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification. Following this, he helped tutor his juniors who subsequently received their Red Hat certifications as well.

A highly responsible, mature and helpful individual, it is little wonder that Kaiwen was usually assigned leadership roles. He was nominated President of the TP-ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) Student Interest Group and Quartermaster of the Open Source Student Interest Group (OSSIG) in 2011. He was also instrumental in organising the industry-recognised annual event for cyber security professionals in Singapore known as the All 'Bout Security Seminar in 2011 and 2012.

In fact he was Chairperson of the organising committee in 2012 and impressed industry representatives with his professionalism and organisational capability.

Well-liked and a natural leader, Kaiwen graduates as the top student and gold medallist of the Cyber & Digital Security diploma course.

Pau Chia Sheng

In his quest to help novice investors make better informed investment decisions in equities, Chia Sheng decided to lead his team in a Major Project called the "Online Stock Algorithmic Guru". Displaying a high
level of proficiency in both finance and IT, he created the system's main engine to compute the factors affecting a stock's short-term and long-term prospects, as well as functions to alert users on their financial portfolios.
In 2011, Chia Sheng was selected by Interpol (International Criminal Police Organisation) for an attachment to their office in France. While attached to the Project Management Office of the Information System and Technology Directorate, he was put in charge of the preparation of monthly IT Steering Committee Meetings and impressed his supervisors with his excellent organisation skills. He contributed substantially to the continuous improvement of project management practices within the organisation and was commended for his efforts.

An exceptionally bright, active and committed student leader, Chia Sheng was Vice President of the TP Community Service Club (TPCSC) between 2010 and 2011 and helped to organise and lead more than 30 outreach projects. Notably, Chia Sheng planned and executed a fundraising project, Walk for Rice, which raised more than 50,000 bowls of rice for the needy. He also organised the Bone Marrow Donor Recruitment Drive and Hair for Hope events which helped to raise funds for the Children's Cancer Foundation. To improve the quality of life among the elderly, Chia Sheng worked with the Thye Hua Kwan's Moral Family Service Centre to organise social interaction sessions and helped to clean the homes of the needy.

Chia Sheng has demonstrated sensitivity and compassion well beyond his years. Determined to make a difference in the lives of others, he has touched those around him with his generosity and his empathy for the less fortunate. Chia Sheng has drawn admiration for his ability to multi-task balancing his commitment to academic work and the community.

Chia Sheng graduates with pride as the top student and gold medallist of the Financial Business Informatics diploma course and will always be remembered for his commitment to making a significant difference in the lives of others.

Yuen Shu Hui

Shu Hui makes history as the top female student to graduate as the gold medallist of her cohort in a course that is largely male-dominated – the Game & Entertainment Technology diploma course.

Indeed, Shu Hui has always held her own and demonstrated outstanding technical skills. She was among a handful of students selected, to be attached to the Singapore-MIT GAMBIT Game Lab in Boston, USA, for her internship in 2011. As the producer in a nine- member international team with diverse backgrounds, she led her team to successfully develop a technically challenging and unique digital game targeted at addressing complex social issues.

Enthusiastic, committed and organised, she earned the respect of her teammates and was widely acknowledged by staff and fellow interns as being a highly effective leader, who was most successful in fostering cohesion and teamwork.

As a Malaysian, Shu Hui deeply understood the challenges faced by other foreign students joining TP, and this prompted her to contribute her time to the Temasek Polytechnic International Students (TPIS). In particular, she worked tirelessly to help new foreign students integrate into life in Singapore and at TP. Technically savvy, she was appointed the Head of Publicity of TPIS in 2011.

For her final year Major Project, Shu Hui worked with a few of her fellow classmates on a game project for Singapore Press Holdings, aimed at attracting youngsters in Singapore to broaden their horizons and enhance their knowledge through playing video games that give them an insight into the news. A natural leader, she was nominated the producer for this project.

Shu Hui aspires to be a top notch game developer in the near future. With her tenacity and determination to succeed, she will surely achieve her goals.

Shalom Quek Xian Lun

Shalom was certain his interests lay in the areas of design and IT and readily submitted his application to join TP's School of Informatics & IT via the Direct Polytechnic Admissions scheme in 2008. Shalom proceeded to put his heart and soul into his classes when he joined the Interactive Media Informatics diploma course in 2009.

The lessons Shalom picked up at TP went beyond the classroom. A critical thinker, Shalom was inspired to enhance the opportunities for graduates to secure jobs by creating a web application called "Transpire - Portfolio Haven" as his Major Project. This application enables lecturers to place students' project portfolios online for potential employers to access. This online portfolio was Shalom's way of giving back to the polytechnic.

Working in a team of five students, he co-ordinated their research efforts and paced the team to complete the project well within the stipulated timeline.

Always open to new learning experiences, Shalom opted to complete his internship at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia. There, he worked on the "Flood Wall" project, aimed at commemorating the 2010- 2011 Queensland floods, which affected Brisbane and many other parts of Queensland.

The project's concept was to have a large interactive Google Earth map on one of the multi-touch walls. Despite having no prior experience in developing applications for multi-touch screens, Shalom impressed the team at QUT with his dedication and ability to overcome the technical complexities involved in the project.
A compassionate individual, Shalom seizes opportunities to use his talents and skills to serve the wider community, such as volunteering with the Eurasian Association. He also used his creative skills to develop videos for the Direct Polytechnic Admissions Interest Group.

Shalom has demonstrated maturity and an inspiring sense of responsibility in his approach to the duties he undertakes. He graduates as the top student and gold medallist of the Interactive Media Informatics diploma course.

Wong Kin Seng

A technically adept and driven individual, Kin Seng, together with his classmates, worked on their Major Project entitled, "Therapy and Rehabilitation Assistant". As the lead software programmer, he created a system that uses the Microsoft Kinect to aid the rehabilitation of stroke patients.

Besides being featured in local media, this innovative project also won the Championship Prize in the Microsoft Imagine Cup Competition 2011 (Software Development Category).

Remarkably, Kin Seng and his teammates also created a Windows Phone 7 application, Recylocator, for the same competition to encourage environmental awareness. This application was shortlisted as one of the top five applications in a worldwide selection for the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011 Competition. Kin Seng and his team subsequently represented Singapore in New York for the worldwide finals for both categories.

Kin Seng interned at Microsoft Singapore in the Developer & Platform Evangelist team. He developed an application, techday@sg, for Microsoft TechDays 2011, a conference that provides updates to IT professionals and developers on Microsoft technologies, earning a 5 out of 5 star rating, and gaining recognition by Microsoft staff from other countries.

Passionate about technology, Kin Seng has been enthusiastic in his efforts to spread the technology message among his peers. As an active member of the Microsoft Student Partners (MSP) Programme, Kin Seng was elected President and organised numerous technology workshops and talks at TP with his team.
Humble and compassionate, Kin Seng seizes opportunities to use his talents and skills to serve the wider community, such as participating in a project to create an information system for the Tampines East Community Club as well as volunteering to help with juniors who were weak in their programming subjects under the Peer Tutoring Scheme.

Kin Seng is a highly talented software developer whose affable nature endears him to others. He never tires
of trying to find creative solutions to the technical problems he encounters and embodies the characteristics that one expects in a top notch software developer.

It is no surprise that he also graduates as the gold medallist of the Information Technology diploma course.

Bevin Seetoh Jia Jin
For his final year Major Project, Bevin led his team to create the "Green Climate" mobile application for the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS). The purpose of the application was to educate people about the impact of climate change using interactive quizzes and news feeds. Bevin played a key role in analysing information and using available resources to generate new ideas for this application. His out-of-the-box thinking led him to create an impressive product which was featured in The Straits Times in November 2011.

Bevin's intellectual prowess and competence in handling highly challenging projects have been strongly endorsed by the company he interned at – Dell Global Online Business. While there, he developed
a web-based application using a web console known as "LiveBall" to create web pages for Dell visitors to fill up an online request page to download free white papers. In the process, Bevin demonstrated a great dedication to ensuring that his work was of the highest standard.

An exemplary student with a remarkable enthusiasm for IT, Bevin took on the challenge to further enhance a mobile application for TP, called "TP Mobile". This is an all-in-one iPhone application that provides users with basic information about TP such as latest news and announcements, list of canteens and important hotline numbers. Bevin took the initiative to develop new features, such as timetable and push notifications, for the TP Mobile application that can be downloaded from the iTunes store.

Besides his impressive academic achievements, Bevin also organised various school outreach activities for students, including workshops to develop iPhone applications. He also sought to give back to the community by participating in an Overseas Community Project trip to Hainan, China, to teach English to children in the
local villages.

Bevin graduates as the top student and gold medallist of the Mobile & Wireless Computing diploma course and looks forward to excelling as an applications developer.