<\/span>classroom learning and rote memorisation. She immersed herself in research and group projects, often going beyond what was required of her to strengthen her abilities.<\/p>\nThat drive and determination paid off two years later, when she entered Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) to pursue her dream course.<\/p>\n
Her passion for working with children began in her childhood in Malaysia, where she was cared for by a nanny. As the eldest of the five children under her nanny\u2019s care, she helped to feed the younger kids, change their clothes and take them to the toilet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s when I found out that I really love and find joy in working with children,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n
But it was during her practicums with children with special needs that she found her purpose in this field.<\/p>\n
During one practicum, she worked with a young girl who often refused to sit during lessons. While the teachers conducted class, Ms Lim patiently interacted with the child every day until the girl began voluntarily approaching her and sitting on her lap during class.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou see (a child) progress from someone who doesn\u2019t speak a single word to taking the initiative to say something,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a very fulfilling (feeling) that I cannot find elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
These experiences inspired Ms Lim to pursue an Early Intervention track at NP, working with children who have conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and global developmental delay in their formative years.<\/p>\n
She recently completed a six-month internship with Rainbow Centre\u2019s Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children. Initially unsure if she was suited for the emotionally demanding job, Ms Lim grew more confident after she saw the children\u2019s progress and the happiness of their families.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told myself, \u2018this is it\u2019,\u201d she said. \u201cMy role matters to (these children and their parents), and they need more people to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Lim, now 24, graduated on May 7, 2026, with the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Achievement Award, which is given to outstanding graduates who were formerly from ITE and have all-round achievements.<\/p>\n
She has accepted a full-time position as an assistant teacher (early intervention) at Rainbow Centre Marsiling Lane. She also plans to pursue a part-time degree in early childhood education at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, before eventually working towards a master\u2019s degree in speech and language therapy.<\/p>\n
Like Ms Lim, biomedical science graduate Don Koo Hong Bin, 20, experienced a turning point before entering NP.<\/p>\n
In secondary school, he was unmotivated and directionless, spending most of his time gaming instead of studying.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere wasn\u2019t much validation for my efforts,\u201d he recalled. \u201cSince my mum wasn\u2019t around because of my parents\u2019 divorce, I didn\u2019t really have a mother figure to cheer me on. So I didn\u2019t feel very accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Koo\u2019s father was the sole breadwinner of the family, and he often helped out at his father\u2019s hardware shop during the school holidays.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His turning point came during his O-level year, when his parents hired a tutor to help him with mathematics, physics and chemistry.<\/p>\n
Before the tutoring, Mr Koo had scored a C6 for chemistry during his preliminary examinations. He eventually improved to an A2 for the O levels, motivated by his tutor\u2019s belief in his capabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe (said) \u2018I believe in you, you can do this\u2019. And then I actually believed in myself and I did it,\u201d Mr Koo told ST.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was quite inspiring because I felt that not many people believed in me,\u201d he said. \u201cHaving that person you can rely on is quite impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nMr Don Koo Hong Bin, a biomedical science graduate from NP, receiving the Lee Kuan Yew Award and Ngee Ann Polytechnic Outstanding Achievement Award from Minister for Education Desmond Lee on May 4.<\/p>\n
PHOTO: NGEE ANN POLYTECHNIC<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Mr Koo graduated from NP on May 4, receiving the Lee Kuan Yew Award as the most outstanding graduate from a technology course, and the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Outstanding Achievement Award for all-round excellence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At NP, he actively engaged in both academics and student life, taking part in rock climbing, doing up to three minors, and participating in overseas programmes in Thailand and Australia.<\/p>\n
He also completed a year-long internship at Singapore General Hospital\u2019s Department of Neurology, where he worked on research on Parkinson\u2019s disease using fruit flies.<\/p>\n
He developed FlyGPT, an artificial intelligence tool aimed at helping researchers track and count flies more efficiently during experiments. The flies were used in neurological research studying the effects of different drugs on their development. In the past, the researchers had to manually keep track of the movements of the flies.<\/p>\n
To develop FlyGPT, Mr Koo taught himself programming and computer vision \u2013 a sub-field of AI that trains machines to analyse and interpret visual input \u2013 with help from friends and online resources.<\/p>\n
The internship gave him clearer direction for his career path. Although he entered the polytechnic interested in research, he eventually realised his passion was in another area.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis internship showed me that I wanted to do something more patient-facing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Koo has received offers from both Nanyang Technological University\u2019s medicine programme and the National University of Singapore\u2019s dentistry programme.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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