My parents have always encouraged me to volunteer from a young age. Always my biggest cheerleaders, they raised me to focus on my personal growth, rather than just my academic achievements. Through them, I learnt early on the importance of kindness and giving back to society.

In 2022, as I was about to enter university, my mother was diagnosed with a serious illness. She had to take an extended break from work to focus on treatment and recovery. 

To support the family and shoulder the additional expenses of my university fees, my father began driving for Grab. This also gave him the flexibility to be with my mother when she went for her treatments. 

That period tested our family in many ways. We were really stressed about money, and affected by the pain my mother had to go through. We had to make sure someone was always close by during her treatment, which sapped her of her strength and appetite. 

During this time, I came across a sharing session on an internship programme by Youths for Autism. It made me think of a family friend who was diagnosed with autism, and I was interested to learn more about the disorder. I had never considered entering the special needs sector before; I mostly saw this as a way to spend my holidays more meaningfully.

Following the session, I signed up for a six-month internship at Pathlight School, beginning after my A-level examinations ended. 

LEARNING TO HELP OTHERS LEARN

At Pathlight School, I served as a teaching support intern for primary-level classes. My days were spent assisting students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who had higher support needs, managing classroom behaviour, and contributing to various school-wide projects. 

Each day was totally unpredictable. The work was demanding, exhausting, and also incredibly rewarding.

One of the most profound parts of my internship came through my interactions with a student called “A”. 

“A” was a bright young boy who struggled with self-expression, coping with negative emotions and was fixated on following routines. When these routines were disrupted, he would have loud outbursts, disturbing the students in my class. 

At first, I was frustrated because I couldn’t understand why he was having frequent outbursts. It took me a while to realise that my struggle wasn’t with him, but with my own lack of knowledge about ASD.

I was soon assigned to support “A” directly. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I was determined to approach the task with an open mind. 

Each day, I sat beside him during classes, observed and quietly supported him. With guidance from his teachers and therapists, I picked up strategies to help “A” manage his emotions and navigate his day-to-day activities. As I grew more attuned to his needs, I began to see the world from his perspective. 

To “A”, changes to his daily routines are extremely hard for him to accept and understand. For example, a recess bell would ring every day at 11am — but if there were ever a day where for some reason it didn’t ring, he would wonder why. Having no immediate answer, he would react with an emotional outburst. 

MOMENT OF CONVICTION

Over time, I realised that these outbursts were just his way of expressing his confusion over the unexpected changes to his routine. He wasn’t trying to be disruptive; he simply didn’t know how else to express his upset. 

As I started to understand what he liked and disliked better, I eventually got accustomed to him and even developed a closer relationship with him.

One day, out of the blue, he smiled widely and jumped around the classroom after watching a video that answered a nagging question he had.

He was ecstatic. It was the first time I’d seen him this happy. He even hugged each of his classmates and came to hug me too. 

It was a breakthrough moment, not just for him, but for me as well. 

It felt like the first time I could clearly see the importance of providing the right support and environment for children with ASD to thrive. 

I felt a deep conviction to walk this path in life: Contributing to providing this support for special needs kids, while also tackling the stigma and biases that the general population have against people with such disorders. 

I set my sights on pursuing a career in psychology, with the eventual aim of specialising in therapy for children with ASD. 

EASING FINANCIAL BURDENS

I wanted to keep pursuing volunteer work while studying, but my mother was still undergoing treatment, and I was worried about our family’s finances.

My father encouraged me to apply for Grab’s Emerald Circle Scholarship, which provides up to S$10,000 in cash to help cover university expenses for children of Grab’s driver-partners. 

Applying for this scholarship in April 2024, I was hopeful yet worried. But my mother reminded me that the process mattered more than the outcome. Her encouragement allowed me to stay calm throughout the scholarship interview and not let self-doubt take over. 

When I received the news that I had been selected for the scholarship, I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude! Knowing that my family’s financial burdens would be lightened brought me a lot of relief.

The scholarship also brought me closer to my goal of making a difference for children with special needs. Not having to worry about affording tuition fees allows me to dedicate more time to both my studies and volunteer work, both of which are crucial steps toward my future career. 

Two years on, I’m relieved to share that my mother has since fully recovered from her illness and has even returned to work, full of renewed strength and optimism. My father continues to drive for Grab, but our family is in a better place now, financially but also in so many other ways.

Supporting each other through the tough challenges of the last couple years has made us stronger, both as individuals and as a family unit. 

I continue to find joy and meaning in giving back to society and have found many like-minded friends through groups like Youth Corps Singapore. I aim to work as an associate psychologist after I graduate in 2026, before pursuing postgraduate studies abroad. 

In addition to being a practising psychologist, I hope to be able to do research on ways to improve therapy methods for people with special needs.

Above all, I’m glad that going through this period of such uncertainty ended up leading me to find a new direction and path in life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jerelynn Ng, 21, is a third-year psychology student at the National University of Singapore.