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We found love
For these alumni couples, love blossomed amidst the halls, canteens and other sites of their alma mater. As they embarked on the journey of a lifetime, they chose to immortalise their love stories by returning to NTU for their wedding photo shoots.
Text: Sadia Roohi
Love on the fast track
Lim Yi Xuan (SBS/2019) and Let Jian Jie (NBS/2019)
Photo: bobbykiranyeo
How did the both of you meet?
Yi Xuan (wife): We met after the NTU Sports Camp which we both participated in during our freshmen year, while attempting to run for group leaders for the next Sports Camp. Interestingly, I did not notice him throughout the whole camp.
Jian Jie (husband): When I met her during those post-camp events, I knew I had to seize the opportunity to speak with her.
How did your affection for each other grow?
Jian Jie: Yi Xuan moved to the hall I stayed at, Hall 16, when she was in her second year, and that made it much easier for us to meet up. We would usually have our meals at Canteen 16 or McDonald’s at the North Spine. We are both foodies and even bigger fans of McDonald’s so we would have a meal there at least once a week. We had numerous conversations over these meals and that allowed us to get to know each other better.
What motivated you to return to NTU for your pre-wedding photo shoot? Are there any locations with special meaning for the both of you?
Jian Jie: It has to be McDonald’s at North Spine as well as the running track at the NTU Sports & Recreation Centre. As we were both athletes, we would spend time exercising and running together. Our lives have not changed much since we tied the knot in October 2022 – trying to exercise as much as we can despite our work schedules and grabbing occasional dinners at McDonald’s.
Yi Xuan: I moved to Hall 16 to join Jian Jie after freshmen year and we both stayed there until graduation. Both of us also participated in quite a number of sports during the Inter-Hall Games in our second year. Needless to say, Hall 16 is a place filled with memories and we definitely had to relive those moments.
More about the couple
Yi Xuan graduated from the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) and initially saw herself working in a lab as a researcher post graduation. However, the internship opportunities and exposure NTU provided her with allowed her to explore and pursue other areas of interest. Her current strategic planning and customer insights role in a medical device company is more business-related and taps on her science background. Jian Jie graduated from Nanyang Business School with a double degree in Accountancy and Business (specialising in Actuarial Science) and now works as an actuary in a reinsurance company.
I’ll catch you if you fall
Calleigh Cheah Pei Ling (SBS/2017) and Hii Siew Rong (MSE/2018)
Photo: Knotties Frame Pte Ltd
How did the both of you meet?
Calleigh (wife): We met when we were both NTU hall cheerleaders. He was the captain for the Hall 1 cheerleading squad while I was from Hall 7. We spent quite a lot of time training for a performance for a recruitment activity.
Any memorable moments or experiences that brought you closer during that time?
Calleigh: One of the funniest interactions that I had with him was that one time when we were moving items to another area. I was carrying a large bag but it wasn’t heavy. He saw and asked if I needed help. I was a little embarrassed to accept the help so I just said that I could manage. To my surprise, not only did he not help, but he also told me that he was only going to ask me once, and casually walked off. I was baffled at that moment. It has been seven years since that day and I still occasionally tease him about it. We had plenty of suppers after training, and late night chats with our friends, so that brought us closer too.
What motivated you to return to NTU for your pre-wedding photo shoot? Are there any locations with special meaning for the both of you?
Siew Rong (husband): Cheerleading was a huge part of our lives during our NTU days. We poured our blood, sweat and tears into the sport. After we graduated, both of us took up coaching for one season of the inter-hall cheerleading competition, and it was one of the most memorable projects that we did together. We also often studied together and met up between classes, so the foundation of our relationship was built in NTU. We wanted our pre-wedding photos to be focused on where it all started, hence the choice of NTU Halls 1 and 7.
More about the couple
While Calleigh’s career as a biological researcher is directly related to her studies, Siew Rong’s path has taken him from materials science engineering to retail operations. Calleigh is a research officer at National Environment Agency, and Siew Rong is the head of operations for a locally-owned optical chain store. Married in 2022, the couple are expecting their first child at the end of 2023.
Going the distance for love
Lim Deqiang (MAE/2010) and Junie Tay (SBS/2011)
How did the both of you meet?
Deqiang (husband): We met at a welcome tea session organised by the Cultural Activities Club held at the former Student Activities Centre located beside the Quad Café. I think that place has been revamped now.
What was the defining moment for you as a couple?
Deqiang: Junie spent two years in Beijing as part of her double degree in Biomedical Sciences and Chinese Medicine. Managing a long-distance relationship and having the chance to visit her in China definitely brought us closer as a couple.
What motivated you to return to NTU for your pre-wedding photo shoot? Were there any locations with special meaning for the both of you?
Junie (wife): It was a rather simple decision for us as that was the place we met and got together as a couple. Hence, NTU holds a special significance in our hearts. Other than the former Student Activities Centre where we met, other places and moments that we remember fondly are Canteens A and B, and the long walks from the North to the South Spine.
More about the couple
Junie is working as a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and Deqiang is running his own company in the engineering and oil and gas industry. Seizing the opportunity to start his own business has given Deqiang a flexible work schedule, letting him accompany Junie when she was posted to China for work. Their time in China was a nostalgic one as they revisited places they went to as undergrads. Deqiang and Junie have a beautiful daughter who turns three in February 2024.
This article first appeared in issue 4 of U, the NTU alumni magazine.
