Students explore their interests through wide-ranging opportunities during the semester break

For many students at Yale-NUS, the semester break from late May to early August is a golden opportunity to explore academic and professional interests. Thanks to the generosity of the College’s numerous donors, an extensive range of programmes are available at Yale-NUS College.

One such programme is an entrepreneurship bootcamp—established by a founding benefactor of Yale-NUS—that encourages and supports students who intern with start-ups, entrepreneurial companies or social enterprises. Due to this grant, Mathematical, Computational and Statistical Sciences major James Pierog (Class of 2022) was able to attend the bootcamp and take his interests to the next level.

“Embarking on the entrepreneurial path means I can combine many of the things which I love—art, music, technology, mathematics, and computer science—and build a business from it,” James shared.

James Pierog (Class of 2022) presenting on Rialtos during Hustle Weekend 2021. Image provided by Yale-NUS Development Office.

Since co-founding Rialtos, an online art marketplace, almost a year ago, James has been finding new ways to grow the budding start-up through technology, product development, and even employee outreach.

The summer entrepreneurship bootcamp was a pivotal point in his journey. By honing his ability to pitch his proposals, the bootcamp opened his eyes to the importance of communication, which is sometimes overlooked.

“Without building those necessary foundational skills in communicating my idea to my peers, I do not think I would have been able to get this far,” James said. “Every time I pitched [my business] idea to someone, I found different ideas which resonated with people, as well as different ways to improve my communication skills.”

Likewise, the Chinese Language and Civilisation Programme supported by the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation, enabled Cheow Jin Jie (Class of 2023) to strengthen his communication skills in Chinese. Jin Jie was awarded the Chinese Language Scholarship to attend the inter-university programme for Chinese language studies at Tsinghua University. Having had a deep appreciation for Chinese culture since high school, Jin Jie, who is pursuing a Chinese Studies minor, hopes to consider career opportunities in Taiwan or China after graduating from the College.

Cheow Jin Jie (top) and his teacher during one of his summer school classes – A Scroll Through Scholarly Topics In Chinese. Image provided by Cheow Jin Jie.

The programme was vital in improving his ability to converse in formal, professional and academic Chinese language. Despite the programme being held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jin Jie’s interactions with his teachers and classmates still made for a rewarding experience. “Hearing others’ language-learning journey, be it travelling to China with their children or engaging with Chinese business partners, was most enjoyable,” he enthused. “Conversing about each others’ lives and cultures made language-learning more holistic and fulfilling. I am very thankful to the Foundation for this enriching experience.”

The gratitude for the opportunity to further one’s area of interest is similarly shared by Ethel Lim (Class of 2022), who spent the summer immersing herself in art therapy at LASALLE College of the Arts through the Summer Arts Scholarship, supported by the Chen Chong Swee Asian Arts Programme. With high barriers to entry into art therapy, the scholarship was doubly important as it allowed Ethel to explore and understand this niche area.

As a medium that coalesces art and tangible social change, art therapy is strongly aligned with Ethel’s interests and sense of purpose. During the course she was able to embark on an emotional artmaking journey by confronting on-going international crises.

Paintings of the Myanmar military take-over, and civilian resistance done by Ethel Lim during Art Therapy through the Summer Arts Scholarship supported by the Chen Chong Swee Asian Arts Programme. Image provided by Ethel Lim.

“The instructor requested for us to make art in response to the tragedy happening around us. Following that, each of us shared about what the pictures we drew meant to us,” she recalled.

Activities like these were crucial in Ethel’s realisation of how art therapy—through mutual affirmation and setting healthy emotional boundaries—could lighten one’s emotional burdens. “I have become acquainted with the benefits of communication with oneself, as well as helping others begin this dialogue,” she shared.

The same drive to change lives for the better was what prompted Nur Shyartiana Binte Saifulbahri (Class of 2023) to intern at Aidha under the Broad Peak Global Internship Grant, which supports internships with non-profit organisations in Singapore or abroad.

Nur Shyartiana Binte Saifulbahri (Class of 2023), pictured at the bottom left, interned at Aidha under the Broad Peak Global Internship Grant this summer. Image provided by Nur Shyartiana Binte Saifulbahri.

As a charity dedicated to enriching lives through financial education, Aidha helped Shyartiana gain a deeper understanding of the social enterprise sector.

“From past experiences, I felt that volunteering was relatively simple because it occurred on an ad-hoc basis,” she explained. “Volunteers do not necessarily have to deal with all the planning and implementation.”

At Aidha, Shyartiana was a Student Affairs intern, which offered her the opportunity to take on a more hands-on role. By crafting lesson plans for various courses, Shyartiana was able to witness firsthand the impact of her work. “Students’ eagerness to improve greatly heartened me. It made me strive to provide lesson plans that were not only useful in their role as Student Ambassadors, but also their daily life and future careers,” she reflected.