ADDRESS BY G SUTHERSHINII, VALEDICTORIAN, AT THE SINDA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2023 ON 30 SEPTEMBER 2023

Guest of Honour, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Education & Foreign Affairs, Dr Maliki Osman,

Members of the SINDA Board of Trustees;

CEO, SINDA, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran;

Award Recipients & Family Members;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Introduction

1. A very good morning to everyone here today. Let me begin by extending my congratulations to each and every awardee. My name is G Suthershinii, and I recently graduated from the National University of Singapore where I majored in Biological Sciences and Psychology, and currently, I am working as a research assistant at Duke NUS graduate medical school.

The Turning Point

2. I am deeply honoured and humbled to be standing here today as the Valedictorian this year. I would like to begin by sharing a story that illustrates my journey to this very stage today. Let’s go back to a couple years ago. The year is 2015 and I am in my final year of secondary school. I had just received the results of my first semestral examinations, which looked a little like this:

• • Biology: C5;
  • Chemistry: D7;
  • Mathematics: C6; and
  • Additional Mathematics: D7.

3. Sounds grim doesn’t it. However, at that time, I was extremely indifferent and contented with my sub-par academic performance. Instead, I was more preoccupied with something else – Netball. I spent most of my student life dedicated to the sport, often representing my school in national My performance on the court mattered so much more to me than that in the classroom.
4. However, everything came to a standstill one day. During one of my netball matches, I had an unfortunate fall that resulted in me tearing a ligament and meniscus of my left knee. This necessitated reconstructive surgery. Due to the nature of the injury I had to be away from the sport and my team as I recovered. My morale was at an all-time low, given that a major aspect of my identity was robbed from me. During this difficult time, something started to switch gears in me. I had enough of myself wallowing and revelling in self-pity. I then decided to funnel the overwhelming frustration that I was feeling towards my academics. I started to play an active role in my learning, taking initiative to attend consultations and being forthcoming with clarifying doubts that I had in class. I remained disciplined and studied consistently every single day and I even made the drastic decision to delete all my social media accounts, which I felt were distractions I could do away with.
5. My efforts eventually paid off when I attained a single digit L1R5 score for my O-Levels. The joy and contentment that I felt as I received my results, continued to fuel my motivation to excel in my academics. I applied this same drive and motivation while in Junior College and NUS, which enabled me to be consistently one of the top students. I was also awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize in my final semester at NUS.
6. The fire that was sparked within me at the age of 16, has led me to where I am today. The journey to this point, has not been an easy one. It still feels completely surreal to be on this stage today.

Principles of Success

7. From the story I have just narrated, I hope to highlight four key principles of success that I have learnt thus far.
8. Firstly, there are no shortcuts to success. As you may have realised, my academic achievements were not acquired overnight. I put in the work every single day to be where I am today. I remained disciplined and made immense sacrifices to reach greater heights. There is absolutely no substitute for hard work and grit. So, if you are putting in the effort, yet are not seeing results, I implore you to be patient. I promise that you will one day, reap what you sow.
9. Secondly, get comfortable with discomfort. I strongly believe adversities and setbacks provide us with the best opportunity for growth and success. The adversity I encountered at 16, helped me build character, resilience and instilled in me the drive to succeed. As such, embrace uncomfortable situations with an open mind and you would emerge as an evolved individual.
10. Thirdly, adopt a holistic approach to success, meaning strive to achieve impeccable standards in multiple areas of your life. Personally, for me, success is not just about the grades I get for my exams. To me, success is about the number of lives I have impacted or touched, which is why I prioritise community service in my life.
11. To provide a glimpse of my service-related pursuits, I regularly volunteer with organisations such as Children’s Cancer Foundation, where I engage with children stricken with cancer in meaningful play sessions. Additionally, I am also the education director of a non-profit organization called Grow Studio, which aims to provide free educational resources for our fellow migrant workers. Through the service I render to the community, I feel blessed and contented knowing that I have made the slightest impact on the lives of others. As such, while I prioritise my academic commitments, I also value my efforts in giving back to society. In all, I encourage everyone to go beyond your academics and derive happiness, meaning and success from various avenues in your life. Remember, life is about a lot more than just academics and you are worth a lot more than just a grade.
12. My last and final principle of success is about practicing gratitude. In the pursuit of achieving our goals, it is imperative that we celebrate and be grateful for the small wins. In the spirit of practicing gratitude, I would like to use this opportunity to express my sincerest appreciation to the people who have supported me in my life.
13. To my parents, Amma and Appa, I cannot thank you enough for the sacrifices you have made for us. Both of you are my biggest source of strength. Appa, you will always be my beacon of inspiration. The hard work, dedication, and humility you demonstrate in life, inspires me to be the best version of myself every day. To my family members and friends who have always rooted for me, thank you for placing your unfaltering faith in my abilities and competencies.

Conclusion

14. In closing, I would like to leave you with a dialogue from a Tamil movie. I shall deliver this in Tamil itself for the intended effect. The dialogue goes: Vaazhkai oru vattam. Athula thokkaravan jeipaan, jaikiravan thoppaan. This translates to: life is a circle, at times people who are winning may lose while people who have been losing could win. In essence, nothing in life is permanent, both good and bad times are transient. If you are currently going through a tough time, remain resilient. I promise you that there is light at that end of the tunnel. If you are successfully accomplishing your goals, keep at it. Do not become complacent but use your success to motivate, help and lift others.
15. Congratulations once again to all my fellow recipients. May your path towards success be filled with purpose and endless growth.
16. Thank you.