Address by Ranjani Panda, Valedictorian, at the SINDA Excellence Awards 2026 on 26 September 2026

Guest of Honour, Speaker of Parliament, Mr Seah Kian Peng; 

Members of the SINDA Executive Committee;

CEO, SINDA, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran;

Guests, Award Recipients & Family Members; 

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Introduction

1. A very good My name is Ranjani, and I recently graduated from NUS High School. I am honoured to be here today alongside the many capable recipients of the SINDA Excellence Awards 2026, as Valedictorian. I would like to thank SINDA for this recognition, and everyone who has supported me along the way.

2. Today, I would like to talk about my relationship with success and identity. For most of my life, I felt like my achievements were a big part of who I was. I chased the best grades, tried my hardest at everything, and took on probably one too many projects and positions — all in the hopes of getting rid of that tiny voice in my head telling me, “You’re not enough”.

3. For a while, it worked. Each achievement brought recognition and pushed me to strive for more. But when success becomes all you know, you begin to wonder: without it, who am I?

4. Hindustani Classical music forced me to face this question. It has always been a big part of my life and my identity. Singing was something I had spent years learning while growing up, and it was also something through which I found a great deal of joy and confidence.

5. So, at the age of 12, when I found out that I had damaged my vocal cords, it felt like I was losing a part of myself. I was told that I had to stop singing immediately, and that there was a possibility I might never be able to sing again. I had damaged my voice because I had pushed myself too far, constantly trying to hit notes that were higher and more difficult.

6. And that was perhaps the hardest part to accept. In trying so hard to excel at something I loved, I had pushed myself to the point of almost losing it — and with it, a part of who I was.

7. It was difficult, and there were times I wanted to give up. But with my family’s support, I found my way back to singing, and that’s actually when the true learning came.

8. It has taken me six years and counting to get my range back to where it was. My voice still constantly breaks and goes unstable at notes that used to be really easy for me. When I approached my teacher with this frustration, she said something I will never forget — “It isn’t about how high you can sing, Ranjani. It is about how you make the range that you have sound beautiful.”

9. I think the same is true of life. Like your favourite song, it doesn’t need to have the highest notes or the craziest runs, the notes just need to come together and feed your soul. And I found that the most meaning in life comes from using what I have to serve others.

10. As Council President at NUS High School, I listened to my fellow students’ concerns and worked to address them. Beyond school, I volunteered with organisations like CampusImpact and the National Kidney Foundation.

11. These experiences have changed the way I think about fulfilment. The moments I’m most proud of aren’t the ones where I achieve something for myself, but the ones where I was able to contribute meaningfully to someone else.

12. All of us in this room here today, have different strengths, and what we choose to do with them to give back to others is what truly matters.

13. This shift in perspective has also changed what the SINDA Excellence Award means to me. Maybe six years ago, I might have seen this award as proof that I had worked hard enough, i had achieved enough and that I was enough.

14. But today, I see it differently. This award is, of course, a chance to recognise how far we have come, the effort it took to get here, and the people who have helped us along the way. But it is also a reminder that we have a duty: both to ourselves and to our community — to use our talents and achievements for good.

15. I owe much of this perspective to the people who have supported me. To all my teachers, family and friends, thank you for believing in me, challenging me and reminding me that there is more to life than any result. Thank you for standing by me through the moments when all I felt like doing was giving up, and for continuing to believe in me even when I struggled to believe in myself.

16. Finally, thank you to SINDA for showing us what service can look like.

17. So today, especially on a day like today, where it is very easy to get absorbed in ourselves and our achievements, I invite all of us to look outwards, at the people and the privilege that have helped us to get to where we are, and the impact we could make to pay it forward. Because success comes and goes, but nobody can take away the meaning you make for yourself and the impact that you have on the world.

18. Thank you, and congratulations to all the recipients of the SINDA Excellence Awards 2026!