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Alice Lim
Founder at Linetype
Diploma in Interior Design (2019)

Alice Lim, our Diploma in Interior Design (DID) alumna, shares her inspiring journey from an èßäÖ±²¥ student to a Founder of Linetype!

Watch how she transitioned to business, founded Linetype, and is now revolutionizing the design industry by connecting designers, vendors, and consumers through innovative solution!

Felix Lee
Co-founder and CEO at APDList
Diploma in Engineering with Business (2018)

Coming from a very humble background—without the advantages of a prestigious university degree or the backing from wealthy parents, Felix Lee, never imagined he would make it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List, under the Consumer Technology category.

From the 'N' Level stream, Felix chose to enter èßäÖ±²¥ through the Poly Foundation Programme (PFP) and decided on the Diploma in Engineering with Business as he wanted to get the best of both worlds - Engineering & Business. 

Now, Felix is the co-founder and CEO of APDList. Started in 2021, APDList is the world's largest mentorship platform for people in the tech industry. He launched it during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 to help people who had lost their jobs. The startup has since grown into a global community with over 14,000 mentors from 140 countries and hosting 15 million minutes of mentoring sessions on subjects such as product design, data science and software development. ADPList also achieved an amazing feat and raised $1.3 million from Sequoia Capital India in 2021.

Michelle Tay
Director, Singapore Kindness Movement
Diploma in Business Administration (2006)

"The fundamental knowledge and practical skills such as accountancy, marketing, law, and IT that I acquired at èßäÖ±²¥ have been instrumental in my current role. "

Michelle pursued a Diploma in Business Administration in èßäÖ±²¥ and was exposed to the dynamic world of business. As part of the first batch of entrepreneurship students in 2005, they executed their own businesses in their final year, applying theories and best practices for their business plans to real-world implementation, earning an income for themselves. 

Upon graduation, her èßäÖ±²¥ lecturer referred her to a job at Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) and she has been there for the last 17 years and worked her way up to become the Director at SKM. She currently oversees the team's programmes and operations, and the fundamental knowledge and practical skills that she has learnt in èßäÖ±²¥ has helped her in the business of kindness where her work involves societal behavioural change in promoting pro social norms instead of immediate sales targets. 

Fun fact: her Meiji pushcart business that she started 18 years ago in èßäÖ±²¥ is still ongoing and evolving!

Alex Chua
Founder and Managing Director, Polygems Dental Care
Diploma in Biomedical Science (2016)

“Becoming a dentist is a way of remembering my father,” Dr. Alex Chua told Straits Times 6 years ago when he became the first ever poly graduate to clinch a place in NUS Dentistry. His truck driver father died when he was just 12, and Dr. Chua still fondly remembers his toothless grin. Since his enrolment in NUS, he has graduated and is now the first polytechnic graduate in Singapore to become a dentist.

The top performer of Swiss Cottage Secondary School at both ‘N’ Levels and ‘O’ Levels examinations picked èßäÖ±²¥’s Diploma in Biomedical Science (DBS) as his first and only choice during his Joint Admission Exercise (JAE).

Back then, he picked the polytechnic route for practical reasons – he needed a flexible timetable that allowed him to work part time. He had to juggle several jobs to put himself through school and support his family. He also needed a course that can let him excel and fulfil his dreams to become a dentist. èßäÖ±²¥’s DBS allowed him to gain fundamental research skills for his medical studies later on in life.

Dr. Chua not only did well – he excelled. Besides juggling his studies and part-time jobs – giving tuition, working in fast-food outlets and as a security guard – he even found time to volunteer at orphanages and old folks’ homes, and also obtained the National Youth Achievement Awards (NYAA) Gold Award. He graduated with a diploma with merit, and was admitted to NUS under the Exceptional Individual Admissions Scheme in 2009.

Shirdeen Chow Xue Tian
Fleet Management Executive, SIA Engineering Company Ltd
Diploma in Aerospace Electronics (2006)

“I count my blessings every day. I have been given an opportunity to do what I want as well as learn and improve in the process. What more can I ask for?”

Graduating from the pioneer batch of èßäÖ±²¥’s Diploma in Aerospace Electronics, Shirdeen certainly felt prestige, honour and great responsibility.

Upon her graduation from èßäÖ±²¥, she was invited by the SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) to join the apprenticeship scheme as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. She became a full-fledged licensed Aircraft Engineer in 2008. She then pursued a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Coventry University and graduated with flying colours in March 2013. She was later promoted to Planning Executive from her role as a Licensed Engineer.

Justin Tan
Co-founder and Creative Director of Design and Innovation Agency APT811
Diploma in Creative Media Design (2009)

"Design is not just about creating perceived value or beautifying things. There is more to it. To truly
understand how different cultures can come together using design, or to improve processes or things around me, I needed to experience it first-hand. I had to go out there and see how things were done."

This thirst for knowledge has pushed him to take extraordinary steps during his time in school. Today, he co-owns his own Design and Innovation Agency APT811 and even makes the time to mentor his juniors from èßäÖ±²¥.

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