Lack of physics background didn’t deter this TP engineering scholar
He studied only basic maths and did not study physics in secondary school as a Normal (Technical) student.
But Mr Muhammad Raziq Azman, 20, did not let that stop him from pursuing an engineering career.
Entering the Institute of Technical Education's engineering school in 2017, Mr Raziq did well enough in his two-year Nitec course to allow him to skip Higher Nitec and enrol in a polytechnic.
Today, he has completed his first semester in Temasek Polytechnic's (TP) diploma in electronics with a 3.9 GPA.
Speaking to The New Paper, Mr Raziq said: "I knew I was at a disadvantage because I did not have in-depth knowledge of two important engineering subjects.
"But I did not want to use that as an excuse, I just had to work twice as hard."
As one of the top students in his cohort, Mr Raziq was recommended by TP's School of Engineering manager, Ms Jacqueline Kwong-Teng Noi Choo, to apply for TP's Engineering Scholarship, which he was eventually awarded.
Ms Choo said: "The scholarship will help ease the financial burden on his parents and give him more opportunities to enrol in additional programmes locally or overseas."
The bond-free scholarship is awarded to TP's first-year, full-time School of Engineering students with outstanding academic results and good CCA achievements. It will cover a full three years of school fees and give the scholars an opportunity to participate in an overseas experience programme.
Mr Raziq is the eldest of three children. His father is a driver while his mother works at an immigration checkpoint.
"I want to be financially independent so that my parents can provide for my younger siblings who will be going to polytechnic soon. This scholarship will really help me with that," he said.
Mr Raziq takes it upon himself to be responsible for his siblings when their parents are at work.
"We'll eat bread or I'll try to cook for them after school when my parents are busy working. Sometimes I'll take them out to eat as well," he said.
INSPIRED BY DAD
Another student who will benefit from TP's Engineering Scholarship is Mr Koh Wei Yang.
Pursuing a diploma in biomedical engineering, Mr Koh, 18, is following in his father's footsteps to become an engineer.
"When I was younger, I was inspired by my father who used to make me toys from spare parts. Even now, I still keep the toys he made for me,"he said.
Mr Koh's father, who is a service engineer, is the sole breadwinner of the family. To help his father with expenses, Mr Koh took up part-time jobs during the school holidays.
"When my mum had to stop working last year due to personal reasons, my father started working longer hours.
"So this scholarship means a lot to me because it would really help ease my family's financial load."
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