Calling on the Class of 2022

By Jasmine Tiong

Dear Class of 2022, 

We all know that graduation is almost upon us, but did you know that now is the time for us to make a difference in the lives of our needy juniors through the 2022 Class Gift? 

Every donation each of us makes towards the Class Gift will be pooled together with the rest of the cohort to provide financially disadvantaged students with bursaries, helping them complete their education with ease. 

Thanks to the Class Gifts of previous alumni cohorts, I can graduate with all of you this year.

I am happy to be graduating soon because I can finally start working and do my part to help lighten my parents' financial load.

I was a recipient of the NTU Bursary during my first three years at university. Before receiving the bursary, I tried my best to relieve my family’s financial burdens by working part-time for long hours and occasionally eating a simple meal a day. Finances became particularly tight when my two siblings started studying together with me at NTU.

Thanks to the NTU Bursary, which our seniors have generously donated towards through their respective Class Gifts, I could use the financial aid to offset my tuition fees. I could also reduce my part-time working and spend more time with my family, having more nutritious home-cooked meals together. I was also able to stay in a hall of residence, allowing me to better focus on my studies instead of spending long hours travelling to and from NTU daily.

Now that I have experienced how bursaries have changed my life for the better, I hope to help other students who urgently need financial support. Thus, I chose to pay it forward by contributing to the Class Gift and working as a Phonathon caller at NTU to encourage fellow students and alumni to make a gift. 

With that, I ask that you join me in this significant moment as OneNTU, by giving to the 2022 Class Gift before Convocation next month. With the generous support of Sian Chay Medical Institution to match each Class Gift donation (up to a cap of $100,000), as well as government matching, your donation amount will multiply by four times to help even more students.

During the first convocation ceremony on 20 July, I will be presenting the 2022 Class Gift cheque to Chancellor Halimah Yacob on behalf of our cohort. I am not just excited to receive this honour, but I am also excited for our juniors to receive timely support from us seniors. 

Once again, I invite you to make a Class Gift today. Thank you for your generosity towards the students who need it most.

Best wishes, 

Kai Ming