As the last moments of their polytechnic life draws to a close, it is time for our graduands to bid farewell to Temasek Polytechnic; and start afresh in a new chapter of their life.

At the Temasek Polytechnic Convention Center in May this year, the seniors attended their graduation ceremony to finally collect their diploma certificates and declare themselves official graduates of their respective schools. 

This year, both the Guest of Honour, Tham Loke Keng, CEO of MediaCorp and Valedictorian of the year, Vivien Chan Xiu Yun, from the Diploma in Business, had the opportunity to deliver speeches for the graduating cohort.

In their addresses, they spurred them on, and wished the graduands the best for their future endeavours.

One of the graduates was Lau Jia Hui from the Diploma in Communications and Media Management (CMM). Not only was she a student, she was also the Vice President of CMM’s Interest Group (CMMiG), and the Deputy Managing Editor of STOP PRESS Campus Newspaper.  

For Jia Hui, speaking up did not come easy for her at first. She admitted that before she joined CMM, speaking in front of a larger crowd was a big challenge for her. 

“When I first started out in [CMM], I was actually really worried about talking in front of other people,” said Jia Hui.  

This was further reflected in her very first presentation, where she broke down in front of her whole class. At that moment, she was very afraid to express herself to all of them. 

Thankfully, with the help of her lecturers, Jia Hui was able to surmount this obstacle. For instance, they encouraged her to attempt Broadcast Performance in her second year. Eventually, she thrived, with a tremendous improvement in her self-confidence.

“I think CMM really helped me to flourish in terms of talking and speaking,” Jia Hui noted. “I learnt that there’s no need to be scared of talking in front of a large group of people.”

Abhiraami d/o Gunasekeran, another CMM graduate student, fondly recalled the time when she went for a ‘We Are Singaporeans’ recording at the Mediacorp Studios with her cohort. 

In CMM, students are given plenty of opportunities to broaden their horizons and gain a deeper understanding of the media industry. Abhiraami’s field trip to the Mediacorp Studios is one of such occasions. 

“We had the chance to go behind the scenes, and we had a lot of fun!” Abhiraami said.

Moving on, not to forget, there are lecturers who have also played a significant role in students’ lives. For Abhiraami, it was Ms Chee Poh Yoke, Angela, one of her lecturers in CMM who left an impactful impression on her. 

Abhiraami said: “She is an amazing lecturer. She was there for me by encouraging me when I was going through hard times, and she was the one who helped me pull through. I’m gonna miss her.” 

Another student who was willing to share some challenges he faced back when he was a student was Lim Jun Yan Jonathan, from the Diploma in Business. 

“Challenges? Most probably academic-wise,” Lim replied. 

He explained that many students, including him, tend to struggle when juggling between CCAs, tests or exams, and project work. But Jonathan overcame it by garnering “moral support from (his) family and friends.”    

To end off, Law and Management (LAW) graduate, Vignesh S/O Karthekeson chips in his own advice for our fellow juniors and freshmen.

He recommends working hard and playing hard at the same time. 

“I’d advise you all to cherish your time spent in poly,” he emphasised. “It’s going to fly super fast! Work hard, but don’t forget to make new memories with your friends.”

By: Ruth Chua Ai Xin