» Address by Saashtika Mohan, Valedictorian, at the SINDA Excellence Awards 2024 on 14 September 2024, at the Singapore Polytechnic

Guest of Honour, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Minister Chee Hong Tat,

Members of the SINDA Board of Trustees

CEO, SINDA, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran;

Guests, Award Recipients & Family Members;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Opening

I am Saashtika Mohan. I’ve recently graduated from the National University of Singapore with a double major in Biomedical Engineering with Innovation and Design, and the University Scholar’s Programme. Today, I am deeply humbled and honoured to stand before you as the Valedictorian of the SINDA Excellence Awards ceremony. Congratulations to my fellow award recipients for all your remarkable achievements!

Volunteering Journey

Growing up, my parents instilled in me the importance of giving back. I often watched them help others, and this inspired a deep desire within me to one day make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

That is how at 16, I signed up for the Youth for Causes programme, through my school. Through the programme, which aims to promote social entrepreneurship and community leadership development among youth, I had the opportunity to spearhead a fundraiser for the Dyslexic Association of Singapore. As the team leader, I rallied a group of like-minded individuals and formed a team of four – Team DASmyDream. Over three months, we mobilized over 100 volunteers and led fundraising initiatives. Through our efforts, we raised about ten thousand dollars for the organisation and also raised awareness about dyslexia.

That experience was empowering. It showed me that, even as a 16-year-old student, my voice held power. It was a reminder that age is never a barrier to making a meaningful impact. This realisation emboldened me and motivated me to take on larger challenges and continue advocating for causes close to my heart.

One area that I’m deeply passionate about is gender equality, which led me to the Women Deliver Young Leaders Programme. This initiative gave me access to platforms and resources that helped amplify my advocacy. At 18, I had the privilege of representing this cause on the global stage at the 2019 Women Deliver Conference in Vancouver, joining 8,000 advocates from 138 countries. This experience was a powerful reminder that lasting change is the result of many voices uniting for a common vision. The power of collective action is just as crucial back home.

Leadership Experiences

While I was pursuing my degree at NUS, I was actively involved with the NUS Political Association and served as academic director of the Harvard Colleges in Asia Programme, amongst other roles. In these positions, I had the chance to facilitate student dialogues and conferences with key policymakers. One such dialogue was the Political Dialogue Series themed “Build Our Singapore 2025”, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. I worked with youths, much like yourselves, from the various tertiary institutions in Singapore and we relayed our shared aspirations for Singapore in 2025 with PM Wong. We concluded the event with deeper perspectives about meritocracy, environmental sustainability and inequality- topics which definitely impact our Witnessing these discussions reminded me how crucial it is for youth to have a seat at the table, actively participating in shaping our shared future. Our voices matter, and can drive meaningful change. So, speak up and participate in these conversations, because it’s our responsibility to mould the future that we want to see.

Excellence

As we gather to celebrate the SINDA Excellence Awards today, let’s take a moment to reflect on our journeys. What is excellence to you? To me, excellence isn’t about the number of accolades or certificates you collect. I’d like to believe that true success lies in the positive impact we make in the lives of others. Hence, I encourage all of you to aim to uplift those around you. We could do this in a variety of ways – through volunteering, advocacy, or even by simply excelling in our respective fields. Together, we can drive progress and embody the spirit of excellence that we are celebrating today.

To make that impact, you need to first take time to look inward and find out what makes you In any journey, you are bound to meet with obstacles. And when you think about quitting, you need to think about why you started. Conviction is important, and it’s essential to find your passion. Take me for example – since young, I’ve always had a fascination with Science. But I’d be lying if I said I knew exactly wanted to be since I was a child. The list of career options seemed endless to me. The older I got, the more confused I became. It wasn’t till I raised funds for dyslexic children in the “Youth for Causes” programme I talked about earlier, that I understood that making a difference in the lives of others gave me a greater sense of purpose in life. It also exposed me to other initiatives such as the Bone Marrow Donor Programme and Children’s Cancer Foundation, revealing the number of pressing medical problems in the world. While medicine may give people a temporary lifeline, Science and Technology gives a glimmer of hope and promise to those in need. This fueled my determination to be at the forefront of innovation and technology to better human health, and ultimately solidified my resolve to pursue biomedical engineering.

So what about you – what gets you all revved up? What gets you excited, inspired even angry? These are the things that will keep you going, so pursue them. Excellence is more so a journey, rather than just an endpoint we aim to reach. Therefore, embrace the challenges that come your way, learn from failures, and remain resilient.

Closing

That being said, let’s not forget the people who support us in our journey as we do so. At this juncture, I would like to give a shoutout to the people behind my success – my teachers, friends and most importantly, my family. To my mother, my biggest role model and the driving force behind my ambition and determination. To my father, who has always been my biggest fan and for working tirelessly for me. To my sister, without whom I could not have imagined life. All my life, I have been a big dreamer – only because my family has allowed me to be. I’m grateful for their support in every endeavour I’ve undertaken and for being my biggest cheerleaders through it all.

Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to SINDA for their unwavering commitment to uplifting the Indian community. Thank you for creating an environment where all of us can thrive and succeed. My fellow awardees, I want to remind you that our journey is far from over. The road ahead is filled with endless possibilities, and I am confident that, together, we can create a brighter, better tomorrow. Thank you once again for this amazing opportunity and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours!