BIOGRAPHY

I was born and raised in a small sunny island called Singapore. Never having been to the United States before, I was excited and nervous about coming to a foreign land for college. I had no idea what to expect, but I was determined to make the most of my college experience in UIUC. Upon coming here, I was overwhelmed by the numerous opportunities and unique experiences UIUC has to offer, and I am certain that I made the right decision to study here. There is both an artistic and sporty side of me, and I cannot imagine my life without either of them. I started taking piano and ballet lessons at a young age. Ballet has always been the love of my life, but I had a love-hate relationship with the piano growing up. I liked the music the piano produced, but hated practicing for it. I only truly appreciated my piano skills when I took music as a subject in Secondary School and played for my church’s worship team. In Secondary School, I was also actively involved in my school choir, which I enjoyed a lot. As I also loved running and feeling the wind in my face, I joined the cross-country and touch rugby team in my Junior College. Those two years was the most difficult and challenging time of my life, but in retrospect, it helped me build character and discipline. I am someone who seeks challenges, welcomes risks, and believes in doing my best in everything I do. 'Halfheartedness' and 'quitting' are two words that are not in my dictionary. Without these, we can then be one step closer to success. Success is not only about the winner’s trophy, good grades, or wealth, but rather, it is the culmination of hard work, perseverance, and failures. As the slogan on the back of my cross country shirt says, “The lessons we learn through athletic pursuit, make us stronger people.”

PERSONAL STATEMENT

I do not have any personal experiences with cancer, but I do have a heart for those afflicted and their families. I know that being diagnosed with a life-changing disease can be traumatizing for both the patients and their loved ones. Before coming to college, I knew that I wanted to do something to serve the community here in America. I wanted to use the abilities that I have been blessed with to be a blessing to others. Thus, when I chanced upon Illini4000, I knew straightaway that this was something I needed to do. A few years ago, I participated in a research program which investigated the possible ways that potential drugs could cure cancer. That experience was an eye-opener for me, as I gained a greater insight about the biological pathways leading to cancer and the difficulties of finding complete cures. Initially, I wanted to be a research scientist so that I could find cures and treatments for human diseases, and ameliorate some of the suffering in the world. Although I later discovered that being a scientist is not the job for me, I am glad that I now have this opportunity to make a different kind of impact in the lives of cancer patients.