At 17, Jenny Ong hit a low point in her life – her dad suffered from a medical condition that left her mother, a factory worker, as the sole breadwinner of the family. To reduce her family’s financial burden, she decided to find a part-time job while waiting to enroll into ITE. 

She eventually found work at a bubble tea store, and continued working at the shop three to four days a week while pursuing her Higher Nitec in Biotechnology at ITE. It was challenging to manage both studies and work, but she pressed on.

While the pay from her part-time job and the Higher Education Community Bursary (formerly known as the CDC Bursary) helped with her own expenses, Jenny was glad that she could also use her Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA), to pay for her tuition fees.

Today, Jenny, 20, is a Patient Service Associate at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. She is also studying part-time for a Diploma in Applied Science at Republic Polytechnic.

Though some days might still be tough, Jenny’s situation has become more stable at home. She is also staying positive and hopeful about the future. She intends to pursue a career in the medicine and/or science industry, and she is studying hard now to ensure she has the opportunity to do so when the time comes.

Photo & article by: Plus Collaboratives

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