A rare disease left her with mobility problems, making it difficult for her to eat or speak. Despite the constant pain, Raphaella Renanthera Gautama (20) kept her dream of becoming a lawyer alive by completing a law and management diploma at Temasek Polytechnic and was awarded the Ngee Ann Kongsi Most Outstanding Overcomer Award.  

Xavier Aw Yong Chen Yok, 20, who won the Lee Kong Chian Award, graduated from the Diploma in Law and Management with a perfect grade point average. Xavier aspires to become a prosecutor to help young people who have made mistakes to return to the right path.  

Minister for Health, Mr Ong Ye Kung, was the guest-of-honour at Temasek Polytechnic’s graduation ceremony on 2 May. Mr Ong presented awards to 11 students, including Raphaella and Xavier, for their outstanding performance in academics, competitions, sports and other areas of excellence.  

Lianhe Zaobao © Singapore Press Holdings. Reproduced with permission