Impact Report 2019

Contents

07

Internships

IMPACT REPORT 2019

Welcome Message

TTS Foundation

TTS Foundation Internship

10

Alumni Grant

15

Alumni Events

Alumni Grant

DLSA

Alumni Events

Visits

Giving Back

Volunteers

Appendix

21

Giving Back

IMPACT REPORT 2019

WELCOME The TTS Foundation 2018/19 Impact Report is a wonderful read.

Understanding how significant the TTS Foundation is in educating Tanglinites is important. It tells a story about how we can extend each individual student, each individual child. All money raised by the Foundation is currently directed to four key strands, the arts; sport; Innovation, Imagination and Inquiry; and Engaging with Global Issues.

Impact Report tells stories of change and development on many different levels.

Tanglin is a school for life, providing the impetus for intellectual

Craig Considine Chief Executive Officer

stimulation, resources to support less fortunate members of local and global communities, opportunities to achieve one’s personal best and providing a bridge when our students venture into the world of university and work. I am pleased to have donated to the Foundation as a 1925 member. I implore all members of the school community to consider whether you can support our educational offering.

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IMPACT REPORT 2019

WELCOME This past year has once again seen many opportunities for us to recognise and celebrate the new learning adventures of our students and Alumni. Over the last few months, students and Alumni have applied for various grants and awards in order for them to venture out of their comfort zone, sometimes in the most challenging of ways so that they can pursue their passions, learn a new skill or spread joy with others who have less. This has meant in some cases travelling further afield into unknown territories, learning to adapt to ready themselves for new opportunities or simply helping to put a smile on someone’s face through a kind service.

This publication also celebrates all the times over the past year when we have reconnected at events and when Alumni have returned to share

Shakila Samuel Alumni Manager

their expertise at Tanglin, enriching our curriculum and our students' lives. Through this Impact Report, we want to also acknowledge the generous giving that comes from the Tanglin Community, without which it would not have been possible to enable our students and Alumni to learn beyond the classroom and make an impact wherever they are.

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INTRODUCING THE TTS FOUNDATION ENGAGING WITH GLOBAL ISSUES

INNOVATION, IMAGINATION & INQUIRY

SPORT

THE ARTS

The TTS Foundation was established in 2012 to enable exceptional opportunities for our community, including our Alumni. Funded programmes aimed at our Alumni include Deirdre Lew Service Award, Alumni Grant, the TTS Foundation Internship Programme and the new Career Development Grant.

4

INTRODUCING THE TTS FOUNDATION Cecilia Handel Director of Development Once again it has been a pleasure to read in the Appendix, testimonies from Tanglin Alumni of projects that have been enabled by TTS Foundation funding. The breadth of their experiences over a number of continents is impressive as well as the range of opportunities they have fulfilled – whether it be providing dental care to the communities of people

in

Honduras,

helping

to

combat

deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest or working on a start up in New York City.

The TTS Foundation aims to support Alumni endeavours at a time in their life when they are cash poor but time rich. Our aspiration in the long term is that Alumni will then be motivated to fund the next generation of Alumni with their own pursuits.

Approved TTS Foundation Awards 30

20

10

0

Internships

DLSA

Alumni Grant

5

Find out about last year's funded projects at TTS which were aimed at students, staff, alumni and parents in the 2018/2019 Report of Giving 6

TTS FOUNDATION INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME 2019

7

7

18

ATTIC Â | Â JANUARY 2016

TTS Foundation Internship Programme This year saw our largest group of TTS Foundation interns working across Infant, Junior and Senior schools, our interns were seen supporting departments across most areas including P.E., Music, Film Studies, Science, Maths, Geography, Languages and English.

Armed with fresh ideas and enthusiasm, they worked keenly with our Heads of Department - helping in classroom as well as sharing their University experiences with our Senior School students. We thank them for their efforts and wish them all the best as they head off to University or a new job!

For Alumni who are keen to intern next year, do keep a look out for notices on our website.

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 TTS Foundation Interns "This internship allowed me to gain valuable working experience in a challenging environment. I got to work alongside Faculty and help current students with their Academics – this enabled me to develop a lot of key skills required in a bustling workplace. The opportunity to network with my former teachers and fellow interns was also a key takeaway for me."

James Troth (2017 cohort) Business and Econmics Intern

"I was very happy to have had the chance to help students who were applying to study Medicine which was the main goal in this internship. This was something I threw myself into and I hope I have made a lasting impact on the students and helped them in their journeys towards university and beyond."

Niccolo Doe (2016 cohort) Science Intern

"It was very interesting to know what the life of a teacher is like. I really enjoyed assisting students with Maths and seeing them improve over time. I also got to improve my Maths skills and learned new ones along the way."

Andrew Lawson (2019 cohort) Mathematics Intern

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18

Alumni Grant Apply for matched funding, to learn or improve a skill or to complete a service activity that demonstrates an exceptional experience. The TTS Foundation aims to inspire our students and Alumni to engage with their communities and/or give back to those who are less fortunate. The objective of the Alumni Grant is to enable our recent Alumni to contribute to Our World and act as positive role models for our current students. Therefore we encourage our Year 13 students and Alumni (age 18+) to apply for an Alumni Grant, which awards a matching grant for activities related to CAS (Creativity, Action, Service).

FIND OUT MORE

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"My month-long visit to Ecuador was hard work but very rewarding! These projects are so important to these communities as they are often forgotten by the authorities and therefore don’t get the funding that other bigger communities receive. This trip was truly amazing and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to be pushed outside of their comfort zone and more importantly who want to give something back. I am grateful to the TTS Foundation for supporting this life-changing trip! " TAYLOR THOMSON (2018 COHORT) 11

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"I was fortunate enough to be asked to go on the 2018 SEASAC Football trip to Bangkok. Having captained the winning team at SEASAC 2014, it was a truly surreal experience attending the tournament as a coach 4 years later. I wish to pass on my sincere thanks to the TTS Foundation for providing me with the opportunity to experience such a fantastic few days – it is an experience that I will never forget and I encourage other Alumni to pursue something similar!"

JAMIE THUILLIER (2014 COHORT)

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Deirdre Lew Service Awards The Deirdre Lew Service Award provides up to SGD 500 per applicant to enable our students and recent Alumni to complete a service activity or service trip. The aim is to encourage students to learn more about the world they live in, make a positive contribution and exercise responsible citizenship.

All Tanglin students in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 are eligible to apply. Moreover Tanglin Alumni are eligible to apply for this award up to 6 months after graduation from TTS. This will enable those students unable to fundraise or work whilst they are Tanglin students, to participate in a service activity during the summer after graduation or while they are awaiting enrollment in NZ/Australia universities or before they start their National Service.

FIND OUT MORE

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"This experience wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the TTS Foundation for granting us the Deirdre Lew Service Award and we are extremely grateful for this opportunity. It was an incredible experience to immerse in the Cambodian lifestyle and culture - one that is so different from ours."

GRACE CONLAN ON BEHALF OF HER TEAM (2020)

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SINGAPORE 2019

SINGAPORE ALUMNI EVENT

3 Oct 2019 Singapore Cricket Club We were delighted to have over 40 of our Singapore-based alumni join us on Thursday, 3 October at the Singapore Cricket Club over drinks and a curry dinner. It was a great opportunity for Alumni to reunite with friends and teachers. In attendance as well were Mr Craig Considine, Mr Dominic Nixon, members of the Management Team and some Senior School teachers.

Amongst those present included Alumni who attended Cameron Highlands School under our founder Ms Griff-Jones! It's always interesting to hear stories of how things were in the 1940s and 50s, especially during the war 15

LONDON 2019

NETWORKING AND REUNION

15 Nov 2019 Beaufort House Chelsea We were delighted to have over 40 of our (just slightly older) alumni join us on Friday, 15 November at Beaufort House in Chelsea. It was a great opportunity for Alumni to reunite with friends and teachers. In attendance as well were a few Senior School teachers from Singapore, Mr Dominic Nixon, Board of Governors, Chair of TTS Foundation and Mrs Geraldine Chandran, former Head of our Infant School.

We were thrilled to announce the new Career Development Grant aimed at Alumni aged 24 years and above who wish to embark on post graduate studies, personal projects that offer advancement in career and personal development. The evening culminated on a celebratory note as we presented the Alumni of the Year 2019 awards.

Congratulations to all our winners and nominees.

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LONDON 2019

ANNUAL PUB EVENT

16 Nov 2019 Henry Addington Pub Almost

400

young

Alumni

attended this popular annual event at the Henry Addington Pub at Canary Wharf. Many were Alumni recently

who from

had

graduated

Tanglin.

In

attendance as well were many former teachers, including Neil Turrell, former Head of our Senior School. Thank you to everyone who made time to join us! We can’t wait for next year!

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LONDON 2019

TOUCH RUGBY FRIENDLY

16 Nov 2019 Battersea Park It was a chilly afternoon in London, but that did not deter over 30 Alumni and their parents from turning up at the Battersea Sports Ground to take part in a fun mini Touch

Rugby

tournament!

Our

Alumni were in good form as they had fun, reliving their game (some are

still

playing

competitively),

wearing specially made shirts for the event! We want to thank Ms Vicky Patterson and Bronte Sykes for helping to organise this event – one to look out for next year!

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SINGAPORE 2019

ALUMNI & Y13 SOCIAL

30 Aug 2019 Tanglin Trust School We were delighted to have over 70 alumni (Class of 2015-2019) join our Y13

students

(Class

of

2020)on

Friday, 30 Aug for our Alumni & Y13 social. It was a great opportunity for recent Alumni to reunite with friends and teachers as well as to have conversations about university and life after Tanglin with our Y13 students. Our Alumni and students enjoyed a great spread of food and soft drinks.

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ALUMNI VISITS Here are some of our Alumni visitors in 2019

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GIVING BACK

THANK YOU! A big thank you to all Alumni who came to visit school and shared

their

knowledge

and

experience with our students.

Alumni are always welcome to 'give back' to Tanglin!

Email us at alumni@tts.edu.sg if you would like to get involved!

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VOLUNTEERS

Y10 WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAMME (WEX) Our Work Experience programme is now in its 11th year. In 2019, all students had the opportunity to experience a one week work shadow! This was overwhelmingly well received by both employers and students.

Finding places for all students is challenging, hence we reach out to our entire community. Special thanks to the following Alumni who offered help this year: Nick Lang, Rebecca Forwood, Callum Dunne and Matthew Seah.

If you would like to share your time and expertise by offering a work experience please email careers@tts.edu.sg.

"Having enjoyed the benefit of TTS organised work experience at a law firm myself whilst at school, I experienced first-hand the benefit of getting some early insight and exposure into the workings and activities of a law firm. As such, on a personal level, it was a satisfying experience to be able to reciprocate and provide a similar opportunity to students who have expressed an interest in perhaps one day pursuing a career in law."

Matthew Seah (2006 cohort)

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Volunteers UNIVERSITY CHAPTERS Exeter

Manchester

Dan Coughlan

Jacob McGoldrick

Lizzie Duffy

Jess Ciupa

Saul Thurley

Edinburgh Leeds /York

Sophie Blower

Jacob Greaves

Camille Shone

Blair Allan

Durham Loughborough

Maddy Wright

Ben Hall

Laura Coe

Grace Garvey

Jonathan Cooper

London

Southampton

Chris Jones Victoria Hayes

Annabel Ranger Mollie Stephens

Bristol / Bath Bella Underhill Ethan Vail Sarina Salamon Warwick Harry Quant

THANK YOU! Thank you to the following Alumni for offering to be the local connections at the following universities for Tanglin graduates heading to the UK.

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APPENDIX Deidre Lew Service Award Trip Reports Willing Hearts, Singapore (Geralyn Chong Isha Bhukya, Adithi Phadke, Ankita Sudhir - 2022 Cohort) Indochina Starfish ISF, Cambodia (Grace Conlan, Pippa Mackenzie, Emma Hall, Alana Hambly,Isabel Bullock, Louise Jensen - 2020 Cohort) Kang Le Day Hospice (Hannah Coulstock & Connie Forbes - 2020 Cohort) GapMedics, Poland (Miki Shikanai - 2019 Cohort) ESB debating (Ryan Beyer - 2020 Cohort) Singapore Children’s Society (Sharan Sokhi, Elizabeth Tan, Renasha Ong & Bella Tanam - 2020 Cohort) Khana Ghar Karachi, Pakistan (Zain Kazi, Shahyr Shezad & Sayem Shezad - 2020 Cohort)

Alumni Grant Trip Reports Research Volunteer, Sierra Leone (Amy Mackenzie - 2017 Cohort) Teaching English, Cambodia (Anavi Rehan - 2017 Cohort) Touch Rugby World Cup, Malaysia (Bronte Sykes - 2016 Cohort) Animation Documentary, South America (Eva Stanistreet - 2015 Cohort) Outdoor Expedition, Spain (Hannah Coughlan, Gemma Percy, Carla Broussy - 2019 Cohort) SEASAC, Bangkok (Jamie Thuillier - 2014 Cohort) Cultural Immersion, Italy (Lin Min Soh - 2019 Cohort) Diving, Spain (Meghan Togher, Loulya Mekkawy - 2019 Cohort) BuildStream, New York City (Oliver Reeves - 2016 Cohort) Dental Care Volunteer, Honduras (Sanchi Rehan- 2014 Cohort) Intensive French Course, France (Sophie Arbuthnott - 2015 Cohort) Camps International, Ecuador (Taylor Thomson - 2018 Cohort)

Deirdre Lew Service Award 2018 – 2019

Willing Hearts, Singapore Geralyn Chong, Isha Bhukya, Adithi Phadke, Ankita Sudhir

Geralyn Chong, Isha Bhukya, Adithi Phadke, Ankita Sudhir (2022 cohort) volunteered with The Willing Hearts Association in Singapore. They were supported by the Deirdre Lew Service Award. The Willing Hearts Association is a soup kitchen that prepares and distributes food to the poorer people of the community in Singapore. It is also a non-profit organization that is completely run by volunteers We volunteered for a week at the Willing Hearts Association in Chai Chee Community Center, Singapore. The Willing Hearts Association is a soup kitchen that prepares and distributes food to the poorer community in Singapore. It is also a non-profit organization that is completely run by volunteers. During our time at The Willing Hearts Singapore, our work consisted of cutting vegetables, sorting out the various food items and washing up. In addition to this, we also helped pack the cooked food into takeaway containers that would be distributed across the island. Collectively, as a group, we have never volunteered at a soup kitchen and we found the experience to be enriching and fun.

We started our days at 6 am and worked collaboratively with volunteers from all walks of life.

You could tell that all the volunteers valued and took pride in helping the less fortunate and cared about packing every item of food with love and care.

We had to work with all the volunteers as a team to complete the different tasks we were given and we all felt a sense of joy and pride when we saw the vegetables we cut being used as part of the food which was prepared for the next day. Overall, we all enjoyed volunteering at Willing Hearts for a week as it felt good to give back to the community and we all hope to do more community service in the future.

Geralyn Chong (2022 cohort), Isha Bhukya (2022 cohort), Adithi Phadke (2022 cohort), Ankita Sudhir.

Deirdre Lew Service Award 2018 - 2019

Indochina Starfish ISF, Cambodia Grace Conlan, Pippa Mackenzie, Emma Hall, Alana Hambly, Isabel Bullock & Louise Jensen

Grace, Pippa, Emma, Alana, Isabel and Louise (2020 cohort) received Deirdre Lew Service Awards funded by the TTS Foundation to volunteer at Indochina Starfish Foundation in Cambodia.

Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF) is a Cambodian charity with over 13 years of experience using education and sport to change lives. In Cambodia, less than 5% of youth will finish high school. The poverty many children live in not only strips them of their childhood, but it also means that they miss out on an education and vital life skills that are taught through peer interaction and play. Through their Education Programme, Football Programme and Community Development Projects they are supporting those most in need to build a brighter future.

In February of 2019, Pippa, Emma, Alana, Isabel, Louise and I (Grace) ventured to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for a service trip. We spent 4 days working with a charity called Indochina Starfish who support underprivileged children that live in the slums of Phnom Penh.

In February of 2019, Pippa, Emma, Alana, Isabel, Louise and I (Grace) ventured to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for a service trip. We spent 4 days working with a charity called Indochina Starfish Foundation who support underprivileged children that live in the slums of Cambodia, Phnom Penh.

Before we travelled to Cambodia, we organized a touch rugby tournament in Singapore to raise funds for the charity. We raised a total of $6700 SGD - which we were incredibly happy with.

During our trip, we spent most of our time teaching the local children English, playing football and doing various arts and crafts activities with them. Our time spent in Cambodia was extremely rewarding and eye-opening for us. We were shown around the slums where the parents of the children lived. It was a shocking but humbling experience that has taught us so much.

This experience wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the TTS Foundation for granting us the Diedre Lew Service Award and we are extremely grateful for this opportunity.

It was an incredible experience to immerse in the Cambodian lifestyle and culture - one that is so different from ours.

Grace Conlan, Pippa Mackenzie, Emma Hall, Alana Hambly, Isabel Bullock & Louise Jensen (2020 cohort)

Deirdre Lew Service Award 2018 - 2019

Kang Le Day Hospice

Hannah Coulstock & Connie Forbes

Hannah Coulstock and Connie Forbes (2022 cohort) received the Deirdre Lew Service Award funded by the TTS Foundation to spend 5 days at Kang Le Day Hospice in Marsiling.

Kang Le Day Hospice see to a patient’s needs away from home, catering to patients who can walk or are safely mobile in a wheelchair, and who do not require 24-hour nursing assistance.

We spent 5 days at Kang Le Day Hospice in Marsiling. Our day typically started at 9:45 am helping patients into wheelchairs before serving them breakfast and handing out nametags.

Once all the patients had eaten, we assisted in morning exercises. It was heartening to see how enthusiastic everyone was when taking part. This enthusiasm carried on into the afternoon when it was time for the activities that we had prepared. The first of these was arts and crafts, and we were initially apprehensive about how the patients would react. However,

they immediately jumped into it, excited to paint whatever they wanted. The same happened for our other activities: catch with a beach ball, music and making pizza bread!

One of the best things about our time at the hospice was the upbeat and positive atmosphere.

We were expecting people to be more sombre but we were pleasantly surprised by how warm and welcoming the patients and staff all were. This warmth made up for the language barrier that we faced, with most patients speaking very little English.

Overall, volunteering at the hospice was an incredibly rewarding experience. It was heartening to see how much the patients enjoyed the activities we planned for them. They were delighted when we performed two Mandarin songs and one Malay song - requesting us to keep going! We learnt a lot from our time and hope to return in the future.

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Deirdre Lew Service Award 2018 – 2019

GapMedics, Poland Miki Shikanai

Miki Shikanai (2019 Cohort) received a Deirdre Lew Service Award funded by the TTS Foundation, for a two-week placement with GapMedics in Warsaw, Poland in order to gain first-hand medical experience in a hospital setting. This allowed her to come out as a newly improved scientific student with knowledge that will be applied as a medical student in the UK. This experience allowed her to improve collaboration, teamwork and communication skills through interactions with patients, as well as learn some Polish along the way.

Following the patients’ medical journey from diagnosis, treatment to recovery gave an incredible insight into not only the doctor’s perspective but the patient’s as well.

Participation in ‘Global Health Seminars’ allowed students to conduct discussions on 'the local cultural, social, and economic factors' that they will observe and interpret in the workplace.

Having previously shadowed consultants and surgeons in Singapore, the chance to compare the medical care in Warsaw, Poland was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Over the course of the two weeks, I had the chance to shadow Plastic Surgery, Urology and Gastrointestinal departments, alternating between consultations rooms and the operation theatres. In addition, I was able to forge meaningful and lasting relationships with fellow students who had the same motivation and passion for this field as I did, constantly sharing what we had seen at the hospital during the day. After long days in the hospital, we could explore the city of Warsaw, spending our afternoons in the Old Town and Lazienki Park.

The operations were fascinating to watch, solidifying my interest in pursuing a career in Surgery. My favourite procedure was a carcinoma removal from the nose along with a nasal reconstruction, where a cross-paramedian forehead flap rotation was performed. An Indian flap from the side of the ear was cut and placed on the forehead to ensure that the skin was attached to the bone to avoid necrosis. The surgeons were always open to our questions, allowing us to fully understand what was going on. Although the nose did not look as it did before, the surgeon emphasized that removing the cancer was the number one priority. One thing that stood out to me was the fact that patients were always awake during their

procedures, only being under local anaesthesia. This brought to my attention the social and medical issues involved in comparing general and local anaesthesia. However, it was great that they were awake as their recovery process would be much quicker, and I was also able to have conversations with patients straight after their surgery to distract them from the pain.

In the consultation rooms, the high prevalence of carcinomas and melanomas that patients came in for was shocking and I recognised how unforgiving cancer can be. Watching the surgeon’s swift removal technique and his friendliness with patients was inspiring to see, encouraging me to work hard to pursue this career. This sparked my interest in cancer research, leading me to conduct an independent research essay on the HPV vaccine and its controversy in Japan. As well as this, the numerous geriatric patients that we treated brought to my attention the struggles of dementia. This experience heavily influenced my EPQ project title “To what extent can the ‘Holy grail of the 21st century’ replace embryonic stem cells?”, the holy grail referring to induced pluripotent stem cells that have great potential in treating conditions such as Alzheimer's.

I am so thankful for this opportunity because it gave me first-hand insight into the daily lives of doctors and the patient’s time in the healthcare system, as well as helping me realise what areas of medicine I am most interested in. I have acquired a level of knowledge that I would have not obtained from any other experience, so I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in a career in medicine.

Miki Shikanai (2019 Cohort)

Deirdre Lew Service Award 2018 - 2019

ESB debating

Ryan Beyer

Ryan Beyer (2020) received the Deirdre Lew Service Award funded by the TTS Foundation to helping to plan and teach the ESB debating course for Year 6 students During the final term of Year 12, I spent three weeks helping to plan and teach the ESB debating course to Tanglin's Year 6 students. This was the first look into debating for many of them and I was keen to help develop and nurture their skills; kickstarting their journey into the world of debating.

Even though I have helped mentor other senior school students through my leadership role in the Senior School's debate team, teaching Junior School students was a whole different ballgame. I was tasked to work with one class as a teaching assistant, focusing on the quality of the students’ speeches and delivery. This was my first experience teaching in a structured setting, which challenged me to use new and different methods.

I made it a point to challenge the students, rather than simply providing them with an answer. For example, many students were looking to include rhetorical language devices - so I tried to include a mix of common stylistic techniques such as repetition and advanced ones like juxtaposition.

I was continually surprised during the program by how eager and interested the Year 6s were. Some students were part of the Junior MUN group and expressed excitement about joining the debate team in the Senior School.

Many of these Year 6s will progress on to Year 7 next year (2019 -2020) and I am very excited to welcome them and act as a familiar face should they have any worries. This experience opened my eyes to the world of teaching and bringing out the best in students, and I am very grateful to Mr Ed Duncan (Head of Year 6) for allowing me this opportunity.

Special thanks to the TTS Foundation for funding the DLSA and enabling me this experience.

Ryan Beyer (2020 cohort)

Deirdre Lew Service Award 2018 - 2019

Singapore Children’s Society

Sharan Sokhi, Elizabeth Tan, Renasha Ong & Bella Tanama

Sharan Sokhi, Elizabeth Tan, Renasha Ong and Bella Tanama (2020 cohorts) received the Deirdre Lew Service Award funded by the TTS Foundation to conduct a science enrichment, hands-on experiments at the Singapore Children’s Society https://www.childrensociety.org.sg/.

Singapore Children’s Society was established in 1952 and its mission is to nurture and protect children and youth of all races and religion. In 2017 itself, they reached out and cared for 65,536 children, youth and families in need of help. Singapore Children’s Society is also a Country Partner of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (https://www.ispcan.org/). Its Patron-in-Chief is Singapore President HaIimah Yacob. There are currently 12 service centres all around Singapore offering its services in four categories: vulnerable children and youth, children and youth services, family services, and research and advocacy.

Our first step was to approach the Singapore Children’s Society Centre and meet the coordinator there. We set up a meeting, gave them our proposal that contained details of the activities we had planned, and explained how we were going to carry out the experiments. We were given the dates of

17 and 18 December 2018 and were allocated the Bukit Merah View centre to conduct our hands-on science enrichment experiments with the children.

As STEM students we are immensely passionate about the importance of science and the critical role it plays in shaping our present and future. The overall aim of the project was to spark interest in science in young children through interactive science experiments and make them understand the world around them. Keeping safety as of paramount importance, we got our experiments approved by Singapore Children’s Society.

We wanted the children to see science as an adventure, not as a burden. The hands-on involvement not only increased their passion for science but also helped foster teamwork and a sense of achievement. We were surprised and delighted by the zeal and excitement shown when we told them we will be building a solar car. Their eyes lit up and the buzz across the room spread; it made our day even before we started the project with them!

On the first day, we chose the topic of ‘air around us,’ and conducted various experiments to prove the properties of air. We also bought DIY science balloon-powered cars kits that the children were not only able to build but also paint! All the experiments on the second day revolved around the theme of ‘electricity.’ We built solar cars, powered clocks from potatoes and lemons; and taught them how renewable energy works and explained how even vegetables can act as batteries!

Seeing the contentment on the children’s faces, we believe we were successful in promoting the idea that education can truly be joyful and captivating; learning doesn’t have to be just another dreary task.

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As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others�. Truly, serving others changes not just the lives of the people on the receiving end, but also the lives of those on the giving end. It made us realize the true power and joy of giving.

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Deirdre Lew Service Award 2018 – 2019

Khana Ghar Karachi, Pakistan Zain Kazi, Shahyr Shezad & Sayem Shezad

Zain Kazi (2020), Shahyr Shezad (2020), Sayem Shezad (2022) received a Deirdre Lew Service Award funded by the TTS Foundation for a service trip to Karachi, Pakistan. The three boys volunteered at an organization called “Khana Ghar” - which sells full meals to the poor for only 3 rupees (0.03 SGD). The small charge is to allow the poor to feel a sense of achievement and motivation to continue working.

The Deirdre Lew Service Award (funded by the TTS Foundation) allowed Shahyr, Sayem and I an amazing experience that was extremely useful in helping us understand the difficulties many people in the world face. Alongside this, it provided a pathway for us to do something about it and lend a helping hand.

My friends and I decided to focus on our hometown of Karachi, Pakistan to carry out this service. As we had lived there for many years, we had witnessed at first hand, the heavy amount of poverty that resides there and wanted to give back to the city that gave us so much. The organization we chose to help was called “Khana Ghar” or “Food House” – located in Khuda Ki Basti - an area considered to be one of the poorest and most dangerous parts of Karachi.

We felt drawn to this organization because of the founder, Parveen Saeed. After experiencing the harsh reality of poverty and hunger in her own neighbourhood, Ms. Saeed wanted to start her own “soup kitchen” which sold full meals to the poor for only 3 rupees or 0.03 SGD. Charging for meals, albeit at a cheap rate may seem harsh. The reality is that this gives them a sense of purpose – to work hard and put food on the table. It is a way of rewarding them for their good efforts and creating a sense of achievement within them.

When planning the trip, we planned for a three-day service where we would provide any help we could, whether it be cooking food, cleaning dishes, from 12pm-2:30pm. The Deirdre Lew grant we were given was set aside to help us pay for our travelling arrangements to Karachi as accommodation was already sorted. On the first day of our service when we reached the “soup kitchen”, we had a talk with Ms. Saeed more extensively about her story and why she started this organization which gave us a deeper insight into the poverty dilemma in our hometown.

When we started working the jobs were split amongst the three of us and we would alternate.

One would help with the cooking, the other with taking orders and money, and then another with packaging the food.

Seeing the amount of joy and happiness people received from this food highlighted truly how much we take for granted every day, and we are extremely thankful for this opportunity to help out the people in Karachi and help a cause that would make their lives better. Not only did it help us work on various skills such as time/money management, communication etc, it also gave us an intense reality check and experience that would not have been a part of my life if it was not for The DLSA so I am extremely thankful, consequently, I would recommend looking into this organization to help out Ms. Saeed as she is doing amazing work to help those in need and all she needs are small donations to make the aid more substantial.

Zain Kazi (2020 cohort), Shahyr Shezad (2020 cohort), Sayem Shezad (2022 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Research Volunteer, Sierra Leone

Amy Mackenzie

Amy Mackenzie (2017 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to spend 4-weeks in Sierra Leone as a Political Research Volunteer with Street Child - a charity which helps some of the hardest to reach and most vulnerable groups worldwide.

In June 2019, I spent 4-weeks in Sierra Leone as a political research volunteer. Sierra Leone is one of the poorest nations in the world and in need of extreme attention to policies which can progress the nation, get children off the street, bring gender equality and improve standards of living.

During my first week, I was based in Makeni doing minor introductory jobs. This entailed collating and organising visuals into files on all the UK sponsored schools. I was tasked to find the most relevant and recent pictures of developments of over 100 schools.

My first week was mostly about settling into Sierra Leone and becoming accustomed to Makeni’s transportation, markets and the general culture. I eventually ventured down to Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. I was able to visit sights of the recent devastating mudslides and speak to some of the locals. One resident revealed that the government has not been able to improve living conditions for the victims. This had to do mainly with the locals having to provide proof of how they were affected. I spoke to locals about the political situation in Sierra Leone, mainly about the main political parties - SLPP and APC - and the civil war. These insights through conversation proved useful to my University studies.

I was involved with the national Head Count taking place across Sierra Leone. Within Makeni, I oversaw the Head Count discussions and meetings which took place three times a day. The Head Count involved dividing states around Sierra Leone into zones. For example, in Makeni 7 people assigned to each of the 8 zones. These groups walk the routes of their zones for 5 to 6 hours each time, physically counting the children they see on the streets and placing people into different categories - moving businesses, fixed businesses, beggars, jobless and casual jobless people. The Head Count provides vital statistics for the government to analyse and target help, especially for the children on the streets.

I also had the chance to visit St Joseph’s School, a school for the hearing impaired. It was inspiring to see how children with such disabilities learnt various skills like making textiles and hairdressing.

During my 3rd week, I travelled seven hours across the country from Makeni to Kenema. This was a challenging journey that got me out of my comfort zone. The journey entailed taking a motorbike, a 2-hour car ride to Masaiki followed by a 2-hour bus trip to Bo and finally a 1.5hour bus ride to Kenema.

The mode of transportation across Sierra Leone is different to anything I have experienced.

Not only was the journey long but I had to share my seat in every mode of transport! The small 5-seater car from Bo to Kenema ended up transporting 8 of us and the boot of the car could not be shut and belongings had to be tied down with a rope!

I conducted research for the 2020 Street Child Marathon, an annual fundraising event. Whilst the 2019 marathon was successful, Street Child decided to survey other possible locations for 2020. I spent time travelling and looking at new locations and hotels to host the event.

Whilst in Kenema, I carried out beneficiary verification work, which involved verifying that beneficiaries of Street Child existed. This is a necessary and important step to ensure there were no false claims. The verification involved going around to different locations of caregivers and physically verifying their existence by visiting the family and observing how their current businesses were doing. At times it was necessary to visit their children at school as all beneficiaries are required to send their children to school from the profits they’ve made.

The Street Child Sierra Leone experience was completely different to any volunteering I’ve ever done before. It was tough and challenged me in every way possible. However, knowing that I could make a difference has encouraged and spurred me to volunteer more!

Many thanks to the TTS Foundation for making my trip to Sierra Leone possible – not only have I learnt a lot about resilience, but it has also opened my eyes to things I would really like to do in the future for communities such as Sierra Leone.

Amy McKenzie (2017 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Teaching English, Cambodia Anavi Rehan

Anavi Rehan (2017 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to teach underprivileged Cambodian children English.

I applied and received an Alumni Grant to travel to Cambodia for two weeks and teach local children English. This exciting project allowed me to immerse myself in a different culture and make a tangible difference in the lives of the locals. This is particularly important to me as a Law student who is interested in pro bono work as well as my passion for advocating Human Rights Law. Upon arriving in Phnom Penh, other volunteers and I travelled 40km outside of the capital to a remote rural village.

It was refreshing and inspiring to see children so motivated to learn a skill that could contribute to their enrolment in the local education centre. Throughout the next two weeks, it was exciting to see my teaching plans come to life. I had drawn up lesson ideas and games that the volunteer team carried out in the village communal area. These included learning the alphabet and stringing together sentences using picture cards and whiteboards. In conducting these activities, I was able to develop key skills like clear communication, organisation and patience – which are all useful skills as a future lawyer. There were initial challenges like the constant need to adapt and improvise during these activities, but I soon came to like the unpredictability of the children and it resulted in lots of laughs and new friends. Aside from teaching, I was lucky enough to work at a rice paddy field with the local Cambodian family I stayed with. It was truly a wholesome and grounding experience to transcend language

barriers and learn on the job! I found that through the trust that the locals instilled in me, I was welcomed into the Cambodian culture.

I left the small village community with a big sense of appreciation for the bond I had created with the people and a greater sense of purpose to champion the cause of human right to basic education.

Through the Alumni Grant, I was able to make a real contribution to the community and it has motivated me to volunteer again next summer for longer. Thank you to the TTS Foundation for making possible an experience that I will never forget!

Anavi Rehan (2017 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Touch Rugby World Cup, Malaysia

Bronte Sykes

Bronte Sykes (2016 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to travel to KL, Malaysia to represent England in the Touch World Cup. Having always dreamed of playing at the Touch World Cup - even as a young player more than ten years ago, I was thrilled to be selected and named as Vice-Captain of the England Women’s Open Team in 2019.

The tournament took place in Malaysia, which gave me an excuse to pass through Singapore on the way for a week of acclimatisation and training. Whilst in Singapore I had the chance to visit Tanglin and catch up with some old teachers and friends. Vicky Paterson invited me down to coach some of the u15 and u18 girls in preparation for the Queensland All Schools Touch tournament in Brisbane – a tournament that I used to love! It was great to help out the girls, who are in the same position I was in not too long ago, and I was incredibly impressed by how much the standard has improved since I have left – they are certainly much better than I was when I was at their age!

After a week of attempting to adjust to the heat and humidity, I headed over to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with the team. We had a few days of training and a warmup match against the USA, and then the World Cup began. We quickly realised that the tournament

itself was so much more than simply competing against the best touch teams in the World.

It was a test of teamwork, resilience, communication, and leadership.

Coming from training throughout a bitter winter and spring in England, we were not prepared for the conditions that we came up against in Malaysia. The heat index hit 51.9 degrees Celsius during game times, which took its toll not only on players but also referees.

Many people had to be put on drips in the medical tent to combat the heatstroke, and some were even hospitalised. As the conditions were something most of us had never faced before and we were so far out of our comfort zone, communication was more important than ever, both on and off the field. However, when you are physically and mentally exhausted, this is a lot easier said than done. Being in a leadership position, I had to set an example and continue to talk throughout the 40-minute games. Whilst it was certainly a challenge, I believe that through this I further developed my leadership and communication skills, both of which will be helpful in the future I’m sure.

After winning all but 2 games, we ended up placing 5th in the tournament, which we were ultimately very happy with. We originally had our eyes set on a top 4 finish, and therefore, losing to Japan and consequently losing a spot in the semi-final was heart-breaking, to say the least. However, despite disappointment and upset, the way the team bounced back from that loss to produce one of our best team performances in the 5th vs 6th playoff against Papua New Guinea was a real test of character, grit and determination. Whilst, of course, I still wish we had made it through to the semi-final, I was incredibly proud of how the team turned around the loss and kept fighting, especially considering the fact that we have never lost before in Europe. This experience highlighted to me the importance of resilience and emphasised just how important support and teamwork are. I was very lucky to have my family around to pick me up when I was down. I was also very lucky to have teammates who got around and supported one another through the loss. This, I believe, was the reason behind our great result against PNG. The week was filled with some of the highest highs, as well as plenty of opportunities for learning and development. I can honestly say that it was one of the best experiences I could have asked for. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the TTS Foundation for enabling me to travel to Malaysia and compete in my first World Cup. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to represent my country in a sport that I love, and it is an experience that I will certainly never forget!

Bronte Sykes (2016 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Animation Documentary, South America Eva Stanistreet

Eva Stanistreet (2015 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to travel to South America to produce a documentary-styled animated film This summer I was fortunate enough to travel to South America with a course mate following my graduation from university. After finishing my BA in Animation, I wanted to try a different approach to filmmaking, this time trying a documentary-styled film, rather than a fictional narrative. My graduate film’s animation style was primarily CGI combined with experimental chalk animation, and I really enjoyed using the material and loved the textures that were produced. I decided to use my trip as an opportunity to further develop this skill. I filmed my journey through Ecuador and Peru with my parent’s old VHS camera, meeting and interviewing travellers and locals alike in both English and Spanish. I didn’t want to tie the final film’s subject matter down just yet, so tried to film two generic things – the people I met and the places I saw.

Since returning back to Singapore to teach as a Media Studies Intern, I have digitised and began sifting through the 5+ hours of footage and decided to base my final animation on an interview with Eduardo, a surfer who moved to Máncora in the ‘80s, a surfer town in north Peru. He was especially accommodating, friendly, and knowledgeable on the history of the town. The final film I hope to have completed by the end of November / early December, enlisting the help of some keen film students that I taught during my internship.

The Alumni Grant assisted with the funding of the trip, including travel insurance and purchasing of essential software that will help me create this film. I hope to submit it to film festivals across the world as I have with my graduate film, and hopefully, win some as well!

Eva Stanistreet (2015 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Outdoor Expedition, Spain HANNAH COUGHLAN, GEMMA PERCY AND CARLA BROUSSY

Hannah, Gemma and Carla (2019 cohort) received an Alumni Grant – funded by the TTS Foundation to support a two-week hike in Spain over the summer.

Hannah, Gemma and I (Carla) applied for an Alumni Grant to support us in a two-week hike we planned to undertake in Spain over the summer. The TTS Foundation supports the programme and offers Alumni to undertake ‘life-changing experiences’ and ‘exceptional opportunities’.

We hiked e through La Costa Brava, the North-Eastern coast of Spain in the region of Catalonia. Our route took us through the famous ‘Caminos de la Ronda’, historically known for being the paths taken by Spanish smugglers who traded black market products with the rest of Europe!

We walked down the coast from the most Northern town, Portbou, all the way to Lloret de Mar; a distance of over 175 kilometres, in 12 days. Whilst about hiking 15KM a day does not sound too tough, the reality was that under the Spanish summer heatwave and with impressive hills to defeat, we were pretty exhausted at the end of each day.

At night we stayed in different beautiful and remote towns after a long hot day of walking.

We were also lucky to be able to witness the breath-taking views that the Spanish coast offers.

Every day, we woke up early to try and set off before the weather became too hot. We took turns setting a good pace for the trail as we set out each day to our next destination.

The path that we decided to follow was marked by obscure red and white stickers, so we were constantly on the lookout for these, sometimes losing sight of them and having to ask locals for directions. Despite the heat, we persevered every day with our hikes, having to cross various terrains such as rocky hills, motorways and beaches. The hills that we encountered each day were tough, however, the views that could be seen at the top were worth it. On one of those hills between Llafranc and Palafrugell, we could see both our starting point and destination! Whilst each route was challenging, we also planned that they were safe enough to undertake.

On top of persevering through the hike, what really pleased us about our trip was our ability to converse with the local people in Spanish wherever possible. We were able to check into our hostels, ask for directions and order at little cafes with ease, thus building our confidence with the language. During our homestay, we were completely immersed in Spanish culture.

We were sat with 12 Spaniards, speaking limited English, who had made us several traditional family dishes, ending our hiking adventure on a high.

Thanks to the TTS Foundation for supporting our Alumni Grant. It helped us complete this adventurous challenge, making it a truly unforgettable trip for the three of us!

HANNAH COUGHLAN, GEMMA PERCY AND CARLA BROUSSY (2019 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

SEASAC, Bangkok Jamie Thuillier

Jamie Thuillier (2014 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to travel to Bangkok as an Assistant Coach to the 2018 Tanglin SEASAC Football team. To raise the matching funds for his grant, Jamie worked as an intern in Tanglin’s Senior PE Department.

I was fortunate enough to be asked to go on the 2018 SEASAC Football trip to Bangkok, where the boys and girls U19 teams were competing for the Division 1 Championships. Having captained the winning team at SEASAC 2014, it was a truly surreal experience attending the tournament as a coach 4 years later. The weekend proved to be a huge success for both teams, who showed tremendous amounts of sportsmanship and resilience.

This trip has allowed me to develop my coaching and interpersonal skills, through learning, observing and interacting with fellow colleagues and players. As a coach, I could see things and evaluate situations differently from when I was a player. I was able to converse with other coaches about tactical adjustments in response to the way the games were going, which in turn allowed me to advance my coaching knowledge and tactical understanding of the game.

Apart from the above, the trip gave me the opportunity to develop other soft skills that are imperative for a coach to be successful!

The weekend provided me a platform to communicate and work collaboratively with the different players and coaches to identify the areas of strength throughout the tournament, but perhaps more importantly, areas where the teams needed to improve on to progress in subsequent matches.

After a rocky first day, the girls turned it around, coming home as SEASAC champions for the fifth time in a row! The boys exceeded everyone’s expectations by playing some fantastic football and reaching the final round - coming in second place!

Overall, the weekend was a huge success, not only for the school but also on a personal level!

I wish to pass on my sincere thanks to the TTS foundation for providing me with the opportunity to experience such a fantastic few days – it is an experience that I will never forget and I encourage other Alumni to pursue something similar!

Jamie Thuillier (2014 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Cultural Immersion, Italy Lin Min Soh

Lin Min Soh (2019 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to learn the Italian language and immerse in Italian culture.

After extensive research, my friend Rosie and I decided on a week-long language course located in Rome! Although I am bilingual in Mandarin and English, acquiring another language was very exciting for me! The experience of being a student at a different environment to how I was traditionally used to, proved to be a real eye-opener. My language class had many international students from all walks of life, it was a great experience meeting people of different cultures and backgrounds. The experience reminded me of the difficulties in learning a whole new language and how English is comparatively “easier� to learn due to its lack of conjugations!

In addition to the language lessons, the school organised other cultural immersion programmes for its students. Rosie and I were keen to learn Italian cooking and felt a great sense of accomplishment from being able to make a homecooked Italian meal from scratch!

We cooked freshly made pasta in locally produced olive oil, tomato and vinegar.

Throughout the trip, the two of us conversed in Italian to practise the use of the language.

Even though we were not 100% fluent, we felt extremely accomplished in being able to read and understand a few words when we were out visiting the sites and engaging with the locals.

After spending one week in Rome immersing ourselves in Italian culture, we left for Florence and Venice - much smaller cities packed with summer tourists! We continued to practice Italian with the locals - who were also helpful to correct our mistakes!

Whilst the trip gave me an enriching experience through new skills and knowledge, I also felt that it taught me a lot of independence! From booking our own train tickets and accommodation to trying to communicate with locals, the experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped cultivate life-skills that will come in handy as I leave home for university.

I am truly grateful to the TTS Foundation for the support and enabling me to take this lifechanging trip!

Lin Min Soh (2019 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Diving, Spain Meghan Togher | Loulya Mekkawy

Meghan Togher and Loulya Mekkawy (2019 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to complete their PADI scuba-diving certifications in Spain Loulya’s experience: Over the summer holidays in 2019, Meg and I had the most incredible experience completing our PADI scuba-diving certifications in Spain. Having only dived recreationally around the Middle East, it had always been a goal for me to complete the PADI Open water course, an internationally recognised diving certification.

When we heard about the Alumni Grant, we decided to apply, although it was Term 3 and exams were around the corner. We earned money through part-time jobs including catering, organising pit-parties and refereeing touch rugby games when we had time to spare despite the IB-madness. Our time-management and organisational skills were definitely put to the test, but it was all worth it in the end as we were able to benefit from the matching Grant received from the TTS Foundation.

We spent weeks researching and planning our diving expeditions. As we were travelling alone, it was crucial to not only find a reputable dive centre, but also one in a safe area that was catered for beginners like us. So, we reached out to family members, teachers, and even Facebook diving groups until we found a dive centre that ticked all our boxes; 4alldivers in Tossa de Mar it was! Despite a few miscommunicated emails (lesson learnt when dealing in a different language), we arranged our courses. The only thing left was to complete my online theory.

Whilst some of the theory seemed quite basic on paper, it was surprising to see how difficult things got underwater when I was away from the comfort of my plane seat and laptop screen.

During my first two dives, I spent most of my time practising all the basic skills with my instructor, who communicated solely with hand signals. Along with the excitement, I felt overwhelmed and frustrated at times when I couldn’t perform a certain skill. Suddenly removing water from my goggles whilst also trying to equalise my left ear at 18m underwater became much harder than I had anticipated, but I was grateful to have a patient instructor who motivated me along the way. This even made me consider becoming a diver instructor myself!

Independence, patience and decision-making were the main skills I had to work on during my diving experience. At the start of each dive, it was my responsibility to check and adjust my equipment and not be afraid to ask for help when I needed it! Being in an unfamiliar environment for 3 hours a day meant that I had to have confidence in myself to make important decisions underwater. It was amazing to see how quickly my abilities progressed and how I went from feeling anxious at the start to not wanting to get out of the water at each dive!

Loulya Mekkawy (2019 cohort)

Meg’s experience: While Loulya learnt the basic skills of diving, as an Advanced diver I was improving and enhancing skills I had learnt the previous Summer, as well as increasing my maximum depth.

Over the course of the two days, I had the opportunity to participate in 5 dives, each focussing on a different speciality. The most challenging dive for me was the ‘deep’ dive, in which I was required to dive to 100 feet. During these dives I would experience an increase in pressure and a decrease in water temperature whilst trying to equalise before sinking to the ocean floor. Despite these challenges, it was a thrilling experience and one which I will remember forever.

Throughout the course, I was lucky enough to experience diving with pure nitrox air (air with a higher oxygen percentage), learn how to search and rescue for struggling divers and swimmers, navigate underwater using a compass and maintain perfect buoyancy. All these skills will enhance my future underwater expeditions and have brought me one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a Divemaster.

If you have been thinking of improving a skill or trying something new, our advice is to just do it! We were fortunate that we could have the support of the TTS Foundation who provided the Alumni Grant to make it possible for us to undertake and acquire these skills. We will certainly we use them for a long time to come!

Meghan Togher (2019 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

BuildStream, New York City Oliver Reeves

Oliver Reeves (2016 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to work at a construction-tech start-up in New York City.

After graduating from Tanglin, I moved back to the UK to study Linguistics at Newcastle University. During my second year of university, I developed an interest in entrepreneurship and decided to build a website. The website now has 150,000 unique visitors yearly - which gave me a stepping stone towards other opportunities. It wasn’t just a chance to improve my technical skills, but also to network and meet others with similar business interests.

Whilst in a co-working space in Newcastle, I met the founder of BuildStream, a constructiontech start-up. It was clear that we both had a passion for technology and entrepreneurship, and I was keen to learn more about the construction industry. Working closely with the cofounders of BuildStream, I was given the opportunity to join the company on the start-up accelerator programme 'URBAN-X' created by MINI (BMW) and venture fund Urban Us, in New York City. I chose to defer my final year of university to take up this amazing opportunity!

As a company, we are building the first systems to make any piece of heavy construction equipment self-aware. We aim to synchronise and optimise construction site operations. This aligns with the programme's goal to "reimagine city life".

For 6-months, the 3 of us lived in a Brooklyn apartment, and worked from MINI’s office space for innovation. The best way for us to develop and grow as a company was to be in a highpressure environment like this. We were surrounded by the programmes Experts-inResidence (EIRs) who had knowledge of product design, user experience, software development and more. Being able to work with and benefit from these experienced professionals was fantastic. We were able to build our product better, whilst also learning the best way to sell our vision for the construction industry. Our time on the accelerator was covered by The Times (UK) newspaper.

The beauty of working at a start-up is the variety of roles you are required to fill: one day you’re sat behind a desk, and the next you’re hacking into an excavator!

Despite some pre-seed funding for the company that was used for the cost of technological development, travel, and accommodation - we do not take salaries! In start-up terms, we have “bootstrapped” so far. With the high cost of living in New York City, I was very grateful to receive the TTS Foundation Alumni Grant as it made this incredible and life-changing experience possible for me.

I have always been thankful for Tanglin’s support both as a student and as a Tanglin Alumni, particularly towards extracurricular activities.

More recently, we travelled to San Francisco and successfully applied for ‘Y Combinator’ (YC), a similar start-up accelerator programme. YC is a very well-known accelerator, with portfolio companies such as Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit. Unfortunately, I will be returning to complete university in the UK, and therefore can’t join the company for this duration.

If you have an interest in entrepreneurship or have thought about founding (or co-founding) a business, I would certainly encourage you to do so. I believe you learn much faster than you would in any larger corporate environment and a working day in general is much more varied and exciting. You have the chance to really make a large impact on what you do.

Please also feel free to reach out to me, as I would be happy to hear from current TTS students and alumni. I’d like to thank the TTS Foundation for helping me with my first steps as an entrepreneur.

Oliver Reeves (2016 Cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Dental Care Volunteer, Honduras

Sanchi Rehan

Sanchi Rehan (2014 cohort) received support via the Alumni Grant; funded by the TTS Foundation provide dental care to the communities of people in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Over the Easter holidays, together with 11 other fourth year dental students, I travelled to Honduras to provide dental care to the communities of people in Tegucigalpa. We organized our trip through the company Global Brigades, an international charity that uses a holistic approach for community development through student-lead brigades, with the aim for a community to become self-sufficient within 6 years.

Before our trip, we were informed that there would be hundreds of patients as it is rare for the locals there to have access to dental care. To meet this demand, we asked dental practices and companies to donate dental supplies such as drills, filling materials, local anaesthetics to take with us. We also bought extra supplies with money that our friends and family had donated towards the trip. We prepared ourselves for a range of dental procedures we would be carrying out, such as restorations, tooth extractions, suturing and oral hygiene advice.

For the next five days we provided dental care in a community hall, where people who had travelled from different regions throughout Tegucigalpa visited to be treated. Upon arriving at the area where we were to treat patients on the first day, we had to work from ground zero - there was no equipment or high-tech environment as is seen in UK dental practices.

We spent the first couple hours of the day setting up what would be our ‘dental surgery’ for the week; beach chairs as dental chairs, boxes which contained our mobile drills, and plastic cups which the patients would spit water into and replaced the lack of suction equipment.

The rest of the day was spent screening patients; who would require more urgent care and who needed only simple oral hygiene instruction.

The rest of the week involved seeing approximately 10 patients a day with most requiring multiple fillings or extractions. This was a new challenge for us compared to university where we were accustomed to seeing a maximum of 10 patients a week! We had to rely on each other to get through the numbers - for example handling materials or sterilizing equipment for each other, which made thing more efficient and seamless. We also built up our resilience - from feeling sheer exhaustion at the end of the first day to accommodating more patients in subsequent days so we could help all those who had come.

It helped that every patient we treated was extremely grateful for any procedure they had and it was rewarding to see we were making a difference in their lives. We even increased our Spanish dental vocabulary as none of the patients spoke English. At the end of each treatment, we made records that were to be filed into electronic patient records for future visits and to monitor overall community health trends.

This trip was one of the most valuable and rewarding experiences I’ve had; in relation to both caring for underprivileged communities and improving my knowledge as a dental student. Between the twelve of us, we completed 499 fillings and 173 tooth extractions, and learnt so much about developing our communication and leadership skills from the way we ran the clinic to interacting with our patients. Thank you to the TTS Foundation for your support of my trip to Honduras!

Sanchi Rehan (2015 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Intensive French Course, France Sophie Arbuthnott

Sophie Arbuthnott (2015 cohort) was supported by the Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to undertake an intensive French Language course in the South of France.

Sophie is currently undertaking a master’s degree at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Last Summer (between my Undergraduate and Graduate programmes), I applied for a 6-week intensive French course in the South of France. I knew that proficiency in a second language was not only logistically advantageous, but I was aware of all the doors that this would open for me. My Medical Microbiology Masters at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine requires me to undertake a compulsory 3-month individual research project at any research facility in the world. Many of the research facilities I am hoping to apply to require working proficiency in French. After the completion of my master’s degree, I am also hoping to take up a research project at The Louis Pasteur in Paris.

I am now continuing to work on my French and taking night classes to build on what I was able to learn at the French course. I am grateful to the TTS Foundation for supporting my endeavours.

Sophie Arbuthnott (2015 cohort)

Alumni Grant 2018-19

Camps International, Ecuador

Taylor Thomson Taylor Thomson (2018 cohort) received an Alumni Grant funded by the TTS Foundation to 4-week volunteering trip with Camps International in Ecuador. Amongst many other things, her primary goal was to help combat deforestation in the Amazon Rainforests by helping the local communities in their existing tree planting projects.

My Trip to Ecuador was truly a once in a lifetime experience – from the many amazing people I met, to the vibrant welcoming cultures I got to be a part of, to the breath-taking scenery I was lucky enough to explore and wake up to every morning and finally, to the many exciting adventures I got to embark on!

This 4-week volunteering trip with Camps International had 3 primary goals. The first was to combat deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest by helping the local communities in their existing tree planting projects. Next, it was to help achieve a long-term goal of maintaining the rich biodiversity that exists in the Amazon Rainforest. Finally, it was to help the local communities with individual projects that they could not afford to start or complete due to lack of government funding and resources.

I had the opportunity to visit three different communities. I spent the first 2 weeks in the Andes with the Kurikucho community - helping them complete two projects. Firstly, we built an oven so that villagers could make bread and roast meat to sell to other nearby towns for extra money. We also helped them build a Guinea pig shelter as Guinea pigs are a delicacy in their culture and eaten on special occasions. I also took part in other activities such as embroidery, milking cows, harvesting beans and learning the traditional language of Kitchwa from the chief of the community himself.

My most memorable activity at this camp was hiking six hours up to 4000 meters above sea level! I had to push myself the whole way especially for the last hour which was completely vertical. It was hard to breathe at this altitude, as your chest gets tighter the higher you go up, making the depth of your breath shallower. I got through it with lots of teamwork and encouragement. The reward was the amazing views when we got to the top, making it all worth the while and unforgettable!

We had to opportunity to celebrate the festival of the sun with the locals which wan incredibly special experience. This festival is put on every year to thank the sun for bringing good crops and the locals pray for good crops in the year to come! We took part in the community parade through the town which involved lots of chanting and dancing with incredible costumes and colours. I feel very fortunate to have experienced this amazing festival first-hand.

After 2 weeks in the Andes, we headed into the heart of the Amazon rainforest where we worked with another community called Donbiki. This community was located right on a tributary of the Amazon river which made it a breeding ground for lots of unusual insects and

animals! While staying at this village we helped build a shower and a toilet for a family with five children living in a one-room hut.

The Donbiki were so welcoming and held a traditional blessing to welcome us to their community. We were also each given a traditional name so that they could remember us in the future. I was given the name “Pashigua� - which is the name of a tall tree with strong roots and one that and doesn’t blow away easily! Activities like this just made the trip that extra bit more personal and special. While living in this community we also ate traditional food fresh fish wrapped in bamboo leaves smoked on the barbecue! We also had a go at traditional tattooing, jewellery making and traditional hunting!

Our final week was spent in the Chili Urku community. Here we had to sleep on hammocks and had no running water or electricity! Living in these conditions made you aware of how precious water is and made you appreciate the things you take for granted back home.

During our time with this community, we helped reforest 216 trees and helped to start building a community centre with a fully equipped kitchen. We also participated in a traditional dance, observed a community leader perform a ritual on the locals and went on a jungle trek with a local guide!

My month-long visit to Ecuador was hard work but very rewarding! A poignant moment was when some of the villagers started to cry as we were leaving - in appreciation of what we had done for them. These projects are so important to these communities as they are often forgotten by the authorities and therefore don’t get the funding that other bigger communities receive. Organised groups and trips like the one I went on allowed the communities to get the resources, funding and manpower that they would otherwise not receive. This trip was truly amazing and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to be pushed outside of their comfort zone and more importantly who want to give something back. I am grateful to the TTS Foundation for supporting this life-changing trip!

Taylor Thomson (2018 cohort)