Page 70 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2019

68 WESLEY KAM

“I believe a Why did you choose to pursue It was a pleasant surprise! Writing the personal es-
What was the selection process like?
your course of study at NUS?
scholar needs For the longest time leading up to university, I had say gave me greater conviction for what I wanted to
to be authentic planned to study Law. I had a rather idealistic dream do with my life in university, and I’m glad that despite
my honesty, those in charge of selecting took a bet
of wanting to stand up for the marginalized. Due to my
with his/her strengths in writing and speaking, I thought it was only on me. The interviews I have attended were refresh-
natural. However, during my National Service years
ing, with minimal questions on my abilities on paper,
convictions, leading up to matriculation, I caught a glimpse of peo- leaving me feeling like they were genuinely interest-
for that is ple in different fields, including church ministry, civil ed. We went off tangent during one the interviews
with the deans, ending up talking about football and
servants, freelance journalists and writers making an
where one’s impact in their respective journeys. This widened my the tactical and organizational genius behind team
perspectives to consider that making a difference in
management. It was an honour to know I wasn’t se-
motivations people’s lives could go beyond my field of study, that lected purely based on what I could offer, but who I
am as a person.
wherever I was planted, it was possible to plant seeds
come from.” of change. Going a step further, I realized that making
a difference could start now, and didn’t need to wait Why do you think you were awarded the
until after I entered a vocational field. This led me to scholarship, and what are the qualities
consider courses with lighter workloads in compari- a scholar should possess?
son to Law, that would allow me to be equipped for I think I was awarded the scholarship not because I
the future, and gave me more time to commit to other tried to hard-sell myself, but rather because I present-
meaningful projects outside of school. The Faculty of ed my convictions as I knew them intimately. I believe
Arts and Social Sciences was a great place to start, a scholar needs to be authentic with his/her convic-
combining my aforementioned strengths and giving tions, for that is where one’s motivations come from.
me the liberty to use my time to make a difference. Other than that, I think it is important to see that we
The general degree also kept my options open for a are not entitled to such a scholarship, and the entail-
vocation that would best fit my aspirations. ing question in our heads should point us to how we
can make full use of the scholarship to supplement
Why did you accept the NUS Scholarship? our convictions and hence motivations.
The two most attractive benefits were the accom-
modation allowance and the bond-free nature of the What are the benefits of taking
scholarship. The accommodation allowance allowed up an NUS Scholarship?
me to stay on campus with minimal costs and allowed It liberates me in so many ways. I need not worry
for school to seamlessly fit into the bigger picture of about tuition and accommodation fees, and unlike
my life without the hassle of travelling. This opportu- other scholarships, I don’t have to worry about the
nity to stay on campus also allowed me to live in close time taken from me during holidays. The networking
proximity with my peers, building deep and mean- system where scholars can go for the same events
ingful relationships, and learning from one another. has also allowed me to widen my social circle with
Kam Wei Lee Wesley The bond-free nature of the scholarship has given people passionate in their own fields!
NUS Global Merit
Scholarship me the freedom to discover my passions, making
education more of an adventure than a paper chase. How has your NUS experience been, and
Age: 21 As mentioned before, I do believe that making a dif- what programmes and activities have you
ference starts now, so holidays without compulsory participated in so far?
Now: internships or attachments have really given me In my Residential College, the College of Alice &
Year 1, Arts and Social that opportunity to discover where my passions and Peter Tan, I’m part of a team going to Yunnan in 2019
Sciences
strengths intersect. for a service learning project, in which I am jointly in
From: charge of planning programmes for the children. It’s
Nanyang Junior College been a joy working with like-minded peers.