Stories of ASR Class of 2022

Stories of ASR Class of 2022

This series of individual stories reflect the diversity and dynamism of our alumni who've recently graduated from ASRJC. Each one of them shares a unique facet of themself - identity, challenges and aspirations while being a student in our college. We put together these different angles to celebrate their successes in overcoming their challenges, and also to inspire our current students to strive towards their goals and aspirations.

Lavanya Ganesan Kiruthekesh

Before entering ASR, Kiruthekesh (or Kiru as his friends call him) struggled with anxiety and poor self-confidence. But he was determined to overcome this and challenged himself to take up leadership positions to learn, and to serve the ASR community. He became an ICT Champion in the college to lead his peers in digital literacy and he was also a part of the student planning committee for the ASRJC Career and Industry Scholarship Symposium 2022. Not only did these opportunities help Kiru to build his confidence, he also found a sense of purpose in serving the college community.

On the academic front, Kiru found his A-Level subjects challenging and often felt frustrated when he did not meet the standards he set for himself. However, Kiru is grateful for the support he received from his family, teachers, and peers. During his A-Level journey, his parents always encouraged him to focus on the progress that he was making rather than the grades themselves. His Class Mentor, Mdm Vani, also provided him with emotional support and worked with him to formulate revision strategies that helped him to see steady progress in his learning.

Kiru is currently waiting to enlist in National Service and he intends to apply for a degree in Engineering at Nanyang Technological University.

Oh Jing Ting Carina

Carina’s life in ASR was definitely a full one. She took part in Chemistry and Biology Olympiads; was a part of @asr.sc as a Student Councillor and organised numerous events from Orientation to Student Leaders’ Investiture; was a member of the student planning committee for the ASR Paves the Way Medical Webinar 2022; was a student moderator for the ASRJC Career and Industry Scholarship Symposium 2022; was a subject representative for her class. The list goes on.

Yet not many might know that Carina has had to deal with several health issues, including having diabetes from a young age. While it was not easy having to manage her health along with her commitments, Carina was driven by a desire to contribute and help others. At ASR, she also found support in her friends and teachers, who looked out for her well-being.

Carina hopes to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and intends to apply for the Concurrent Degree Programme offered by the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore and the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science at The University of Melbourne.

Nix Koh Joo Chong

Nix loved music from a young age and nurtured his interest by joining his primary school’s band as a percussionist. There, his love for music grew exponentially and he discovered the joy of being a part of a team and working together to bring a piece of music to life. In secondary school, he rose to the position of being the Band and Drum Major, fostering that same sense of love for music amongst his band members.

Wanting to pursue a pre-university education in a supportive environment, Nix applied via the Direct School Admission (DSA) pathway to study in ASR. As a part of ASR’s Symphonic Band, he mentored his peers who did not have a background in band, and taught them the foundations of rhythm and technique. In doing so, Nix shared his knowledge and experience with others, and he believes that it made him a better musician. His willingness to reach out to others also earned the respect of his peers, and Nix was chosen to be the Vice-President of @asr.sb

Beyond his musical talents and leadership skills, Nix was also academically driven. As a part of ASR’s talent development programme, he represented the college in national events like the annual Pre-University Seminar and was a recipient of the ASRJC Scholarship.

Upon completion of his National Service, Nix intends to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.

Nicholas Tee Yu Xuan

Nicholas has always been intrigued by the sciences and found the perfect match at ASR with our specialisation in STEM-related research and STEAM education.

He threw himself into as many learning opportunities as he could to stretch himself, signing up for the Chemistry Olympiad and the Singapore Physics League, and also taking up H3 Physics. While it was challenging, Nicholas also found it rewarding as these opportunities deepened his understanding of the sciences.

Nicholas also found ways to channel his deep desire to learn into leading and serving the community. He was the Chemistry subject representative for his class and was also part of the team that helped to plan a lesson package for the college to commemorate National Day.

In his two years here at ASR, Nicholas’s family and friends have been an ever-constant pillar of support, providing him with a listening ear, especially in the lead up to the A-Levels. Nicholas also gave a special shoutout to his teachers for pushing him to his best, and always finding ways to support his learning.

Nicholas intends to pursue a degree in the sciences or in engineering at the National University of Singapore or Nanyang Technological University.

Saranya Mushila

Once Saranya learnt the basic skills of writing poems and plays in Tamil as a secondary school student – she was hooked. Keen to deepen her understanding and mastery of Tamil Language and Literature, she took her secondary school’s Tamil teacher’s advice and applied for the Tamil Language Elective Programme (TLEP) at ASR.

At ASR, Saranya helped to organise AGNI, a national competition and talent showcase for the Tamil Language students across the junior colleges and centralised institution that was held in conjunction with the National Tamil Language Festival. Her love for Tamil Literature also led her to participate in numerous national Tamil poetry and other literary competitions, clinching the second prize for her poem that was submitted to the Society of Singapore Tamil Poets and first place in the Bharathiyar Centennial 2021 competition for her literary analysis.

Inspired by her teachers, Saranya hopes to realise her ambition of being a Tamil Language teacher and intends to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Tamil Studies and Education at NIE-NTU.

Joyce Tan Wen Ting

During her time in ASR, Joyce was inspired by the leadership and tenacity her seniors had demonstrated as College Ambassadors and wanted to do her part to serve the college community.

Joyce joined the Student Council and eventually became its Vice President, leading with compassion and was awarded the MOE Edusave Character Award in 2022 in recognition of her exemplary character and service.

However, Joyce also experienced her fair share of ups and downs, especially when it came to juggling her academics and her council commitments and feeling daunted by her leadership position. But determination was a key factor to her success and Joyce did not give up, making significant improvements in her second year and receiving MOE’s Good Progress Award.

Joyce intends to pursue psychology at a local university and hopes to turn her interest into a career that can help to improve Singaporeans’ awareness of mental wellness in the society.

Enoch Cheong Zhi Yi

As a driven individual, Enoch found his two years in ASR fulfilling and dynamic as he actively sought out learning opportunities. He was a part of the college’s Alpha Programme and was a College Advisory Committee Scholar, representing ASR in events like the Pre-University Seminar. Through these experiences, not only did he learn about a range of topics beyond the school curriculum, he also had the opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds and learn from their perspectives.

Passionate about giving back to community, Enoch spearheaded the Mental Wellness Week project (WeVive) in the college, leading a team of 7 in educating the college community about the importance of self-care, and how to seek help and provide support to their peers. Taking part in the Career Symposium for Healthcare 2022 and Medical Webinar GAP Project 2022 as a student moderator also enabled him to develop and showcase his leadership skills. Even when faced with challenges such as having to juggle his various academic and non-academic commitments, Enoch remained motivated, had a clear vision of his goals, and worked well with his peers to achieve common goals.

Enoch hopes to realise his dream of studying medicine in a local university so that he is able to continue doing his part for the community.

Aninda Metta Citta

Looking at the schedule for Aninda’s typical day as an ASR student, one might wonder how she juggles all her responsibilities.

Aninda was President of the Guitar Ensemble, a hefty leadership role. She was also an international scholar, taking up 4 H2 subjects and a H3 in Molecular Biology with Nanyang Technological University, and on top of all that, she also represented the college in the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad and the MOE Economics Student Symposium.

But Aninda is the first to admit that juggling her responsibilities and managing her time was the biggest challenge she faced. She squeezed work into every spare minute, making use of the breaks in school and her weekends, in order to keep up with the academic rigour and to also give her best to her peers in @asr.ge as their leader.

It definitely helped that Guitar Ensemble was a CCA that Aninda thoroughly enjoyed, shaping some of her most memorable experiences in ASR. Her friends were also a key part of her journey, reminding her to take regular breaks and decompress when things got too hectic. Aninda also credits her teachers for their constant support and understanding, and especially thanks her Mathematics and Economics teachers, Mr Lim Ting and Ms Diyanah, for developing her interests in the two subjects and making learning fun!

She hopes to marry her two interests in Mathematics and Economics, and pursue a degree in Data Science and Economics in either the National University of Singapore or Nanyang Technological University.

Leong Yi Quan

Yi Quan has always been fascinated with how lines of code can make games and apps come to life. Tapping on this interest, he took up the opportunity to be an ICT Champion and organised workshops for his peers to deepen their digital literacy. He was also actively involved in college life. As the President of @asr.choir, he led his peers in organising concerts, performances and exchanges with other schools. He was also a member of the college’s Alpha Programme, helping to organise the annual University and Scholarship Symposium and representing the college in competitions like the Prudential Young Trailblazer Innovation Competition.

Yi Quan credits his strong support system at home for his ability to balance his academics and his other commitments as well as for his drive to #leadservelearn. His mother, Ms Sonia Tan, was also the college’s Parent Support Group Chairperson and rallied other parents to support college activities, especially when it came to widening our students’ exposure to the workforce via industry experiences and attachment opportunities.

Upon the completion of his National Service, Yi Quan hopes to pursue a degree in Computer Science, Information Security or Data Science in either the National University of Singapore or Singapore Management University.