Ms Vivien Ng
I graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Engineering (Second Upper Honours) in Chemical Engineering. Upon graduation, I joined a multinational semiconductor manufacturing company as a process engineer; working on yield enhancements and cost improvement projects. I enjoyed the dynamism of the industry as well as the opportunities to participate in state of the art technology development. However, from my prior mentoring experiences with youth organisations when I was a student volunteer, I knew deep down that I wanted to do a work that had greater and more direct impact on young people. Thus, I decided on a career switch to pursue teaching.
The first junior college I taught in provided me the privilege to work with both students from the Integrated Programme as well as JC programme. 7 years teaching in the college helped me to grow in my capacity as a teacher and helped me ascertain my calling as a teacher. There were many Kodak moments in my time there but my fondest memories were definitely the one to one sessions I shared with my students where I could engage in deep, open conversations with them. Knowing and understanding what my students were going through, sharing my personal experiences with them, journeying with them through the ups and downs of their college life and eventually seeing them grow in confidence of their abilities and achieving their dreams brought me immense satisfaction.
I took a break from teaching for a couple of years in 2017 to accompany my spouse on his overseas posting. Being a stay-at-home mum to 3 young children in a foreign country was a daunting challenge. It was during this time that I learnt the importance of relationships and to value it above all else. The new friends I made overseas became my strong support group, who made my time away from home “just that bit” more enjoyable and fulfilling. Now back in Singapore, I am excited to resume teaching here in Eunoia Junior College.
I agree with the quote by Brad Henry, “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instil a love of learning”. I strongly believe that a teacher can indeed inspire students to love a subject and I constantly strive to make my classroom a safe place where students can and want to learn. Beyond academics, I also believe that a teacher can positively influence and mould the character of students. Being there for them and coaching them through the lowest points of their student lives emphasizes the importance of care for people and also helps to develop tenacity and builds resilience in them. It is my desire to see graduating students leave with not only a good set of results but more importantly, to do so with a group of good friends that will embark with them through the challenges in life that lies ahead. My greatest hope for the younger generation is that they will not only live for themselves but rather strive to make the lives of others around them “just that bit” better.