SUSS Spirit Award 2021: Impact Makers

This year’s SUSS Spirit Award, unlike others, was extended beyond our full-time students to our part-time students as well! This proved to be a good move as the award recipients, comprising both cohorts of students, added much vibrancy and diversity through their different backgrounds and walks of life. In spite of these differences, our awardees clearly exemplified outstanding qualities such as a heart for others, the willingness to serve and advocacy for social change, amongst others.  Most of all, they were recognised for their efforts by their peers, faculty, staff and community partners for the positive impact they had made on the community.

So meet our 2021 Spirit award winners this year:

• Chloe Tay, our Psychology graduate, and Ryan Lim, our Human Resource Management student, who went out of their way to support and help new and existing students adapt to the new university environment by providing both academic and student life-related guidance. They understood that transitioning into university can be a daunting experience, and wanted to be supportive peers towards their juniors.
  

• Jess Tan, our Marketing student, who was inspired through her participation in the Gobi Desert Ultramarathon in 2019 to impact the world even if it was a small and insignificant action. She went on to give back to the university in her ways, such as stepping up to be a student leader when needed and offering guidance to peers and juniors embarking on virtual internships.

• Daryl Soh, our Marketing student, who channelled his energy towards co-starting the student initiative, SUSS Our Well-being Listeners (OWLs), with the aim of championing student well-being and fostering a supportive community in SUSS. As the President of the campus peer support group, he drives initiatives to engage the student community in wellness initiatives and support their emotional needs.
  

• Cheryll Goh, our Supply Chain Management student, who initiated a Community Engagement project with Club Rainbow Singapore to serve the special needs community. Her desire to make a positive difference in the lives of children with special needs and harness a more inclusive society was birthed from the time she witnessed how one was socially excluded for behaving differently.
  

• Fabian Chew, our Finance student, who employed his personal interest and skills in music to give back to the community through REACH Community Services. He shared his guitar-playing knowledge and skills by serving as a mentor for youths from lower-income families. Fabian realised that as he was imparting musical knowledge to the youth through his Community Engagement journey, he was learning from the community too.
  

• Chee Ning, our Social Work student, who spearheaded the Community Service-Learning project, ‘The More We Get Together’ and learnt that social issues were complex and intertwined. However, that did not deter her, even during the pandemic when she had to move to virtual engagements. She worked hard, together with the multiple community partners involved, to ensure that they were still able to meet the needs of both the young and old.  

• Joven Chiam, our Finance student, who received career guidance under a mentor and was inspired to pay it forward by mentoring other underprivileged children and youths. His commitment to contribute back to the community is evident in the multiple CE initiatives he had chosen to undertake. Joven understands the importance of receiving support and encouragement and shares his personal experience in hope of inspiring others to not be afraid to chart their own path.
  

• Hana Ikram, our HRM student, who channels her passion for people development and social mobility through her work with Access Singapore. She heads the Programme Development team at the youth-driven, non-profit organisation which provides career guidance and exposure to disadvantaged students. Hana believes that each and every youth has the potential to succeed and that the best way to empower and help unlock their potential is by exposing them to opportunities that broaden their worldview.
  

• Fong Wei Jie, our part-time Finance student, who participates in various community projects on top of his work and studies. Mentoring students from less privileged backgrounds residing within the Nee Soon constituency, he is a key member involved in the management of the Nee Soon Football & Study programme. Wei Jie also considers himself to be a good listener and stepped up to be a volunteer with the National CARE Hotline to provide emotional support to callers in distress. 

As Jane Goodall once said, “What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” It is with this belief and hope that SUSS students pursue their passion and continue to make their mark in society by caring for the community.

Congratulations once again to our ten awardees on the remarkable impact you have made on society! Watch this video to learn more about the Spirit Awardees and what drives their passion.