My journey of growth in Edgefield started as a member of the Prefectorial Board when I was in Secondary One. I was also active in my CCA, Girl Guides, organizing activities and participating in parades. Yearly CCA camps, leadership workshops, weekly meetings and an overseas community service trip taught me essential skills and gave me the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom. With the Apple Education class taught in secondary one and the guidance of my teachers, I was also part of the team who won Merit in a national climate change video making competition in 2015. This sparked my interest in video editing and the drive to constantly upskill myself in this technologically advanced world.

I entered Edgefield as a reserved student who hesitated in trying anything new. However, the ample opportunities gave me the push to get out of my comfort zone to learn more. My teachers believed in me and with their guidance and encouragement, I was driven to strive higher and reach further as a student in class and as a leader in school with a heart to serve the community.

Edgefield has made me a better learner and leader. In Singapore Polytechnic (SP), I applied what I learnt when I was the team lead of an industry project, various school events and other projects with peers and clients. I was also motivated to support the community, both locally and globally, with my involvement in community service projects. It was the belief that I can always be more than I thought I could be and to constantly explore new interests, that helped me achieve SP’s Model Student Award. My journey in Edgefield shaped me to be one who can learn more, do more and achieve more.

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. I remain grateful to Edgefield for giving me four years of well-rounded education grounded in sincerity and honour.

I was diagnosed midway in Secondary 1 with three autoimmune diseases – Autoimmune Hepatitis, PSC and Ulcerative Colitis. From an outgoing, hyperactive preteen, I became weary and self- depreciating, and did not have a lot of self-confidence. Furthermore, my studies suffered as I struggled to cope with my illnesses. Some of my symptoms included debilitating fatigue and itching. I also had many medical appointments and blood tests. These made it difficult for me to be consistent with my attendance at school. It didn’t help that on some days, I had to leave school halfway due to my poor health. It was thanks to the efforts of my teachers who helped me that I managed to catch up on my studies. Some of my teachers met me after school hours for one-on-one lessons, while others re-explained concepts to me when I was in doubt They never berated me for falling behind and just focused on helping me keep up. There was also a period of time where I turned to self-harm. I remember that my teacher pulled me aside once class was over and spent an entire afternoon counseling me because she caught a glimpse of my scars. That incident eventually led me to stop this negative behaviour, and I have been well since.

I graduated in 2016 with 2 distinctions and an aggregate of 11 points. Eventually, I also had a liver transplant, and have since written a medical biography called How to Be a Good Patient under the alias, Y.K. Riley with the help of Make-A-Wish Singapore. I currently study Law and Management at Temasek Polytechnic and am working with various organisations to raise awareness about invisible illnesses.

As an alumnus of Edgefield, I can confidently say that Edgefield provides an excellent environment for learning and personal growth. The best part about Edgefield is her dedicated and caring teachers. Through my journey as an Edgefielder, I developed close bonds with many of my teachers, who not only helped me to excel academically, but also nurtured good values in me. They also showed great concern for my well-being. Edgefield also provides many unique programmes such as Challenge-Based Learning (CBL), which has helped prepare me for the A-level Project Work. The teamwork required in CBL also helped me develop good communication skills, a definite advantage in the Team Based Learning (TBL) system at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine where I currently study. Edgefield's wide range of subjects also allowed me to develop my interest in the sciences and laid the foundation for my future learning. In addition, Edgefield offers a great range of CCAs, some of which do indeed cultivate one's passions and interests. My CCA (Guzheng Ensemble) in Edgefield allowed further development of my interest in music as professional instructors facilitated our learning. This gave me the opportunity to continue Guzheng as a passion beyond secondary school at the Guzheng Association (Singapore).

I’m proud to be an Edgefielder and I’m thankful to Edgefield for giving me many invaluable opportunities to achieve and excel!

Edgefield has provided me with many opportunities to develop my potential and leadership skills. My active participation in the Taekwondo CCA helped to improve my concentration, increased my self-discipline, and developed perseverance within me. These traits enable me to overcome any challenges and difficulties I encounter in life.

After my GCE O level examinations, I decided to pursue an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. This programme honed my critical thinking and research skills to better prepare for the rigours of academic research at university. I am currently in my 3rd-year of studies at the Singapore Management University (SMU).

My four-year journey in Edgefield has instilled in me the courage and confidence to try new things. I never imagined that one day I would attain a Taekwondo Black Belt (2nd DAN) and win four medals in the Inter-Schools’ TKD competition, including a gold medal at the National Taekwondo Poomsae Championship. I also received the Colours Awards from the Singapore Schools Sports Council for three consecutive years and a National Youth Achievement Award – Bronze Medal. These achievements were made possible because of the nurturing teachers at Edgefield, who inspired and helped me to develop my potential to the fullest!

The unwavering support given by the dedicated teachers of Edgefield gave me the confidence to pursue my interests in the humanities and the motivation to be inquisitive. I was fortunate to be given opportunities to travel to Mainland China and Hong Kong for cultural immersion programmes. I gained an immense understanding of culture and history through immersive experiences, interacting with local students and teachers. These experiences allowed me to develop cross-cultural awareness and communication skills, which I have found invaluable to my academic interests and engagements with others. There’s no doubt my education at Edgefield has equipped me with the foundational skills necessary in my journey to becoming a global citizen. The English Literature curriculum at Edgefield was invaluable as it honed my critical thinking skills. Looking back, Literature classes at Edgefield were nothing short of inspiring – creating an e-newspaper titled The Verona Times interviewing Prince Escalus on the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues and writing a love note to Romeo stating how smitten one was on seeing him at the party are just two of the numerous initiatives the Literature teaching team rolled out to foster a love of English Literature in us. Apart from nurturing my love for reading, I was able to hone my critical thinking skills and challenge the status quo by forming nuanced opinions on a spectrum of topics and issues, which remain especially relevant in my research pursuits.

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. I remain grateful to Edgefield for giving me four years of well-rounded education grounded in sincerity and honour.

If I could pick a period where I grew the most as a person, it would be the time spent at Edgefield Secondary. At Edgefield, I truly understood the words “you reap what you sow”, a phrase that one of my teachers would constantly remind us. He once told the class “If you can understand 50%, that is good. You can learn the other 50% by working hard, as you can’t score an A1 overnight.”

I took it on me to live by those words and what a journey it has been since then. After my N-Levels, I qualified for Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Polytechnic Foundation Programme, and my consistent efforts landed me a scholarship from Singtel. I was also humbled by the opportunity to represent the Polytechnic in electronics at the WorldSkills Singapore competition where I won a silver medal. This allowed me to take the next step to represent Singapore as team captain at the WorldSkills ASEAN competition, where I achieved a medallion of excellence. I graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic as the top student in my specialisation. Now I am currently serving National Service as an officer cadet, I attribute my entry into Officer Cadet School to the values that I have built, remembering the words, “you reap what you sow” as it does not just encompass just working hard for yourself but also sowing the seeds that would help people grow. At Edgefield, you will find teachers who are passionate about their job and who will go the extra mile for you. They will definitely impact the lives that they touch, just as they have mine.

I am proud to be part of the pioneer batch of students from Edgefield Secondary. I opted for Edgefield then because it was a brand new school and I was interested in the exciting possibilities I could explore.

While studying at Edgefield, I was given the opportunity to explore interests inside and outside of school. Since childhood, I had an interest in aviation and aspired to become a Pilot. Despite having commitments in the form of 2 school CCAs (Golf & Shooting), Edgefield encouraged my interest in aviation by enabling me to join the Singapore Youth Flying Club (SYFC) outside school hours. With the support of the school, I was able to deepen my interest and reach new heights. I was honoured to represent Singapore in an overseas aeromodelling competition in Secondary 4 and at two world championships in 2016 & 2018. During my time in Junior College, I managed to attain my Private Pilot’s License with SYFC and after enlistment, I decided to sign on as a Pilot with The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

I believe that Edgefield has played a huge role in forming the foundations of my journey to becoming a Pilot. The support of the school helped me to pursue my interest freely and without worry. Being given to opportunity to be the first Captain of the shooting club also helped to shape my leadership journey towards becoming an officer in the RSAF.

I am currently a handful of flights away from being Winged as an Air Force Pilot, and I truly believe that Edgefield significantly influenced my journey in helping me realise my aspirations.