SINGAPORE \u2013 For Ms Sheila Khoo Xue Le, joining Republic Polytechnic (RP) in 2023 marked the end of a decade-long chapter of loneliness and isolation. <\/p>\n
The now 31-year-old faced a series of bullying incidents during her secondary school years caused her to lose interest in school. It ultimately led her to drop out of secondary school twice and withdraw from polytechnic once.<\/p>\n
She was diagnosed with Asperger\u2019s syndrome, a type of autism characterised by difficulties with social interaction, soon after leaving polytechnic in 2012.<\/p>\n
Ms Khoo spent the next decade largely keeping to herself, immersing herself in video games and Japanese dramas, before deciding to give polytechnic another chance.<\/p>\n
This May, Ms Khoo graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average and was the valedictorian of RP\u2019s School of Infocomm. She was one of 4,799 graduates across 78 programmes, who received their diplomas during RP\u2019s graduation ceremony, from May 4 to 8.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s 180 degrees of difference between me now and me before I joined RP,\u201d said the Information Technology graduate. \u201cI\u2019m more confident speaking to people and it\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve met people I would consider true friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
She recalled struggling to socialise with her peers in her youth. \u201cBecause of my Asperger\u2019s, I\u2019m very awkward (when) talking to people. I can\u2019t make eye contact, stutter a lot and find it hard to find the right words to say,\u201d said Ms Khoo. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think because of that, people tend to think I\u2019m weird, and bullies thought that I was an easy target.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Khoo dropped out from both secondary schools she attended and sat for O levels as a private candidate in 2010.<\/p>\n Ms Khoo, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, said that studying at RP has helped her improve her communication and interpersonal skills.<\/p>\n PHOTO: REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n While she did well enough at her O levels to study Game and Entertainment Technology in another local polytechnic, Ms Khoo had become \u201csick of school\u201d by that time and dropped out in the second year of her course.<\/p>\n For the next 10 years, Ms Khoo continued to find in-person interaction challenging. She said: \u201cEven when I went out to buy food, I would find it hard to interact with the hawkers.\u201d<\/p>\n While she was isolated, Ms Khoo\u2019s interest in Japanese drama prompted her to pursue an accredited Japanese language qualification. In 2019, Ms Khoo began to work as an online freelance Japanese translator \u2013 a decision that would give her the confidence to give education another chance.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cRight before I decided to enrol in polytechnic again, I was working on some projects that were commended by my clients. <\/p>\n \u201cIt made me feel valued \u2013 I thought that maybe I would be able to find the same sense of purpose if I helped my coursemates with their work.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2023, Ms Khoo applied for a second enrolment in polytechnic via the direct admissions exercise (DAE)<\/p>\n Interested in developing her own video game, Ms Khoo applied to tech- and game development- related courses.<\/p>\n As part of the DAE process, Ms Khoo attended interviews with two polytechnics. She recalled that her first interview, an in-person interview for a game development course at another polytechnic, \u201cwent horribly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI kept looking at the floor and found it difficult to find my voice,\u201d Ms Khoo said. \u201cMy interview with RP was online so it was much more comfortable for me.\u201d <\/p>\n RP eventually offered Ms Khoo a spot in their Information Technology diploma, which was one the courses she applied for. <\/p>\n Ms Wong Wai Ling, director of RP\u2019s School of Infocomm, said: \u201cAt RP, we believe strongly in giving students the opportunities to learn, grow, and chart a new path forward through education. We recognise that a student\u2019s past circumstances may not always be reflective of their true potential, and that with the right support and environment, every student can achieve more than they imagined possible.\u201d<\/p>\n After spending a decade away from education, Ms Khoo found herself struggling to adapt to certain aspects of student life.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first joined, I couldn\u2019t even do simple mathematics. I had to practise (by doing) a lot of exam papers, quizzes and worksheets for me to score well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Besides practice and using flashcards, Ms Khoo credits her academic success to helping her coursemates with work \u2013 a process that has also allowed her to find her people at RP.<\/p>\n \u201cTeaching others helps me revise and maintain practical experience with different modules,\u201d said Ms Khoo. \u201cI\u2019ve also been able to expand my social circle and learn how to interact with different types of people (through it).\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Khoo also said her time at RP has helped her improve her communication skills. She said: \u201cDoing things like presentations and group projects has made me more comfortable talking to people. I can even wave to people now.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Khoo and her family during RP’s graduation ceremony.<\/p>\n PHOTO: REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n After polytechnic, Ms Khoo will study Computer Science at Nanyang Technological University on a full-ride scholarship. <\/p>\n She hopes to work in IT infrastructure after university, all while setting aside money to develop a video game as a personal project. <\/p>\n After her time at RP, however, she also has an additional goal for herself \u2013 to one day return as a lecturer and teach at RP.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cCoaching my friends in different subjects and modules made me realise I enjoy teaching and helping others. I want to be able to carry forward the passion and care my lecturers passed on to me to future batches of students.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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