Why I volunteered to be a Commencement Class Champion

By Matthew Sng

Fourth-year student from Faculty of Dentistry, Annual Giving Commencement Class Champion 2011


COMMENCEMENT CLASS CHAMPION: Dentistry student Matthew Sng

When I found out about the opportunity to become a Commencement Class Champion, I realised it was my chance to lend a helping hand to my juniors and throw my weight behind a long-held belief of mine - that no deserving student should be denied a good education.

I am well aware of how far a dollar can go for a student who faces financial constraints. Tuition fees have always been a concern for me as I did not want to burden my parents with the cost of a tertiary education. I am fortunate to have received a scholarship for the past three years. I also tutored part-time, so I could support myself and fund my personal expenses.

Having benefited from the generosity of others, I felt it was time for me to play my part and help my juniors who are in the same predicament. Due to our small class size at Dentistry, I formed strong friendships with my classmates and got to see that, despite the generous subsidies for tuition fees, some of my friends and their parents still struggled with the cost of a university education.

As gifts from Commencement Class go to the Annual Giving Campaign which helps students facing financial difficulties, I was determined to rally my friends to give back as a class for a good cause.

To be honest, my classmates made it exceedingly easy to raise funds. Everyone believed in the cause and they were highly supportive of giving back to help their juniors. I was truly touched by their generosity and am proud of our 100 percent participation rate! We know that any amount we raise, no matter how small, will go a long way in helping our juniors.

I'm glad that we did our part as a class. I would urge my juniors do their part and go the extra mile when they are in their final year at NUS - someone, maybe a friend or classmate you know, who is in need of financial help, will receive what you helped raise and be able to go through university with a little less worry!

The Commencement Class campaign is a yearly appeal to graduating students to lend a helping hand to their juniors by making a gift. Gifts made to the campaign go towards funding bursaries, scholarships or student development activities. More information on this can be found at www.SayYes.nus.edu.sg/c2011 and students can volunteer to be a Champion for their Faculty or Hall by writing to the NUS Annual Giving Team at annualgiving@nus.edu.sg.

9 June 2011