Page 19 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2019

EVAN CHEOK 17

“I have long
prided myself on

being a hungry
learner with a
positive attitude.

There is always
something
to be learnt,
whether through
the motion of

completing
assigned tasks,
or learning from

others who have
done better.”
What course did you take in university? try. This is exactly what Sembcorp Industries and its
Why did you choose to take it? Marine Business unit could offer, leading me to apply
With aspirations of building rigs, drill ships and the for this scholarship.
largest structures in the world, I was naturally at- Moreover, I felt a natural alignment between
tracted towards a course that could allow me to de- Sembcorp’s and my core values. Namely, working at
velop design concepts. Hence, I decided to enroll into a shipyard requires adaptability and assertive leader-
the National University of Singapore (NUS) to read ship – a blend of traits, which I have honed through my
Civil Engineering. school council and army experiences.
Being inclined toward Physics and Mathematics
from a tender age made my path toward Engineering How does Sembcorp select its scholars?
all but certain. I was keen on developing what I term The Sembcorp scholarship process comprises three
an “Engineering judgement” – the acumen to think stages. Each stage serves to assess candidates on
critically on one’s feet and offer unique solutions to different aspects and skills.
difficult problems. Acquiring this judgement required The first interview takes a more casual setting, al-
that I be immersed in a learning environment where lowing candidates to speak almost freely about their
I could benefit from the tutelage of experts while interests and their aspirations. This style allows the
actively engaging with broad-minded peers. On this interviewers to gain more understanding of the can-
front, NUS had delivered aplenty. didate’s motivation toward their career decision.
The second interview gets the candidates to go
Describe your role in your company through a series of activities. These activities would
and its challenges. elicit potential scholars’ abilities to think critically on
Currently in the Structure Design department of their feet, solve problems, and work as a team.
Sembcorp Marine, I am tasked to align our custom- The final interview is with the company’s senior man-
er’s expectations with our shipyard’s capabilities. agement. It allows the senior management to gain
From performing structural analysis for the construc- insight into the strengths and weakness of the can-
tion of ship modules, to negotiating with clients and didate, which is also helpful for job posting if they are
monitoring construction progress on-site, every day offered the scholarship.
presents a new challenge to me.
Not only is there a need for a high level of techni- What do you think are your strengths?
cal expertise in providing engineering solutions, but The late Winston Churchill once said, “a pessi-
good leadership, communication and organization mist sees difficulty; an optimist sees opportunity Cheok Wei Wen Evan
skills are also always called upon to enable success- in difficulty.” Sembcorp Scholarship
ful job completion. I have long prided myself on being a hungry
The offshore sector has been and will continue learner with a positive attitude. There is always Age: 26
to be challenging, constantly pushing the boundaries something to be learnt, whether through the motion Attained:
of innovation and demanding cost-efficient construc- of completing assigned tasks, or learning from oth- National University
tion schedules. ers who have done better. This mindset has made of Singapore
my working experience very enjoyable, so much so
Why did you choose this scholarship? that I look forward to growing every day at Sembcorp Now:
I have always looked forward to working in an excit- Marine – my second home. Structural Engineer,
ing environment, one that allowed me to bring plans With this outlook toward my career, I am confi- Sembcorp Marine,
Design Engineering
on paper to life. In particular, it was the fulfillment of dent of seeing through any challenge that comes my
taking part in megastructure construction projects way, while also hoping that I can one day inspire oth- From:
that attracted me to the offshore construction indus- ers who seek to carve out a similar path. Victoria Junior College