ADDRESS BY MS SURABHI MALANI, VALEDICTORIAN AT THE SINDA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2022 ON SATURDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 2022, 10AM, AT THE NANYANG POLYTECHNIC

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong;

Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam; 

Minister Indranee Rajah; 

CEO, SINDA, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran;

Distinguished Guests, Fellow Award Recipients, Family Members.

A very good morning to everyone seated here.

1. Standing at this podium, I am excited to see the gleaming smiles of my fellow award recipients. Please look to your left and right and share your hearty congratulations with your peers.

2. My name is Surabhi Malani and I am very excited to be among this dynamic, impressive group today. I graduated from the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore with a Double Degree in Computer Science and Economics with Highest Distinction and elective focus in Data Science and Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence. I am also humbled to be one of the Top 18 Girls in Tech under SG 100 Women in Tech, for my efforts in co-founding the first student-led initiative of Women in Tech @ NTU during my time at university.

3. I am deeply honoured, humbled, and delighted to be selected as the SINDA Excellence Awards Valedictorian this year, and to have this opportunity to share some of my experiences, lessons, challenges, and gratifying moments from different phases of my academic journey with all of you.

4. I still remember my PSLE Math examination day. I reached the school an hour and a half early and was sitting at the general office with my father. Nervous, I was having cold jitters and shook my legs in anxiety. A teacher came up to me and asked, “Hey there, you came early for the exam! Would you like to come in and take a nap before your exam?” Till this date, I am truly thankful to that teacher because after that power nap, I felt well-rested and focused for my exam!

5. The point of this story is that sometimes, we get so carried away with the stress and become so nervous for our exams and grades, that we forget to take a step back, breathe and believe in ourselves. You’ve done your best, you’ve studied the material, give your body and mind a good rest and believe in yourself.

6. I am fortunate to have received an education in both Singapore and overseas because it led me to appreciate diverse cultures, perspectives, and people’s nature. I have learnt to be more compassionate and empathetic to my peers and respect that each person’s life journey is unique.

7. When I started university, I felt a mix of emotions – I was excited, nervous and terrified. I didn’t know what to expect about computer science and economics. But, these four and a half years at university were an incredible journey. It was certainly not an easy ride, but I challenged myself to do new, exciting things.

8. I was always asked how I was able to cope with my packed academic workload. Truth is — it was quite overwhelming at times, especially when there were too many assignments and projects to deliver. However, thanks to a generous support system of friends, family, professors, and mentors, I was able to make it work. I am thankful to my college counsellor as well for her encouragement, as she pushed me to continue my double degree to fulfilment.

9. Remember to work hard and play hard. Channel your jitters into motivation and study smartly by identifying the best studying technique that works for you. Manage your time well and participate in co-curricular activities and projects to build your brand and portfolio. Your time as a student is the best time to explore new horizons and to broaden your knowledge.

10. Now, after finishing my degrees, I appreciate the knowledge and diverse set of skills I have gained as a result and try my best to apply them to any projects that I’m involved in.

11. Another passion of mine is empowering women in STEM. There exists a gender gap in the tech industry in terms of representation, and statistics across the globe support this statement. While Singapore is on the right track, there is still a long way to go. To me, the first step that we can create to bridge this gap is to create a strong community that is driven to empower more women to pursue the STEM industry.

12. The power of communities is truly admirable — we get to connect with new people, hear stories, and be inspired and motivated in our own goals and dreams. Women in Tech @ NTU was that channel for me, which I co-founded with a team of passionate individuals.

13. Growing the club during the pandemic was certainly another challenge since we were used to physical events. So, we took advantage of the virtual landscape. During my time in the club, we organised mentorship programmes in product management, exciting webinars on topics ranging from cloud to data analytics to machine learning, and curated our own flagship newsletter in collaboration with various companies, amongst many others.

14. I was also a part of the Exco team of the Society of Women Engineers @ NTU, and contributed to webinars across the globe by sharing my experiences as a computer science student. I was blessed to have these opportunities, and in the process, be supported by inspiring professors.

15. I also wanted to find a way to contribute back to society — to my neighbourhood and our close-knit communities. As a recipient of the Hong Kah North CC University Scholarship, I spent my time meeting with neighbours during house visits and calling the elderly to encourage them to take their Covid vaccinations. It was a truly fulfilling experience, being able to have those conversations and forging a closer bond with my fellow Hong Kah residents.

16. Additionally, I volunteered with the Youth Corps Leaders Programme – curating fun, engaging activities to engage youths with special needs. I met and worked with like-minded, passionate individuals to help build an inclusive society. These opportunities allowed me to make a meaningful difference in the community and these were truly rewarding experiences. Seeing the participants smile and enjoy the activities is a feeling that I can’t explain in words.

17. During my undergraduate studies, I was also part of the Student Leadership Development Programme, which consisted of professional coaching to refine and develop my own leadership style. In one of these leadership webinars, there was a speaker that struck a chord with me. She is a brilliant woman who achieved many great accomplishments and recognition. I admired her confidence, humbleness, and transparency. As she led us through her life story, she shared her ups and downs in her career and personal life, and the learnings she gained from these.

18. The key learning that this speaker wanted to convey to us was having the feeling of gratitude for ourselves. She shared that no matter what our accomplishments were, no matter who we had impacted, if we did not appreciate our own efforts, we would end up getting hurt. It is extremely important for us to have gratitude for the work we have done and to appreciate our own efforts, as this fuels our drive to do even better. Self-motivation is indeed the most powerful skill that one could have.

19. To conclude my speech, I would like to leave you with a quote from a Hindi movie, that continues to inspire me. It loosely translates to: Don’t study to be successful, study to be capable. Channel your energy to greater things that you are passionate about.

20. I express my sincere gratitude to my family, friends, mentors who accompanied me on my journey and to SINDA for this opportunity. To my fellow recipients – I cannot wait to see what you will achieve in your journey ahead!

Thank you and keep smiling.