Quarter of PSC scholars to study in local universities
Since young, Miss Tan Seet Ynn has been mindful of her responsibility to take care of her younger brother Sean, who has autism.
Her parents have continually reminded her that Sean, 17, who attends Eden School, may not be able to find work and support himself as an adult.
"My parents said they would help me with that. But after a certain point in time, it'll just be me and my brother.
"And because of that, I know I have to work harder to ensure we can both survive," said Miss Tan, 19, one of 93 youth who received a scholarship from the Public Service Commission (PSC) yesterday.
ENGINEERING
The former River Valley High School student was among the 22 who received a PSC Scholarship (Engineering), almost three times more than last year when it was introduced.
Miss Tan will study mechanical engineering at the Nanyang Technological University. Her 53-year-old father is a civil engineer in the construction sector, while her 48-year-old mother is a special-education teacher.
This year, about a quarter - 22 in all - of the scholarship recipients will study in local universities, the highest in the last 10 years, said a PSC spokesman.
"These students are often drawn by the high quality of the programmes offered by local universities and the opportunity they would have to participate in overseas exchange programmes," she said.
Another scholarship holder motivated by a family member is Mr Abdul Qayyum Mohamed Fazil, 19, who was drawn to the public service by his 48-year-old father, a Malay language teacher in a secondary school.
His 49-year-old mother is a housewife, and he has two sisters aged 16 and 13, who are in Secondary 4 and 1.
Mr Qayyum, formerly from Raffles Institution, will pursue Arabic and Middle East Studies at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
He said when he was young, he would wonder why his father, who would often return home late from work, would spend his time marking homework instead of being with the family.
"But as I grew up, I began to appreciate his sense of mission. He really cares for his students, and that translated to my interest in wanting to have a sense of service and doing things for other people." - FABIAN KOH
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