Singapore, Singapore
Selected for the elite 63rd Combat Diver Course (CDC), as part of Singapore’s Naval Diving Unit. The CDC is one of the most grueling and prestigious military training programmes in the Singapore Armed Forces, designed to forge physical resilience, mental fortitude, and underwater warfare capability. Key components of the training: - Land and sea-based endurance training, including open water swims, sea circuit, and drownproofing - Exposure to combat diving operation techniques using SCUBA and CCBA. - Psychological conditioning through Hell Week (completed 28 July – 1 August), a five-day crucible of extreme sleep deprivation, relentless physical exertion, and continuous mission-based tasks, designed to simulate operational fatigue and wartime chaos. - Leadership and team cohesion, built through adversity and real-time mission simulations. Graduation from CDC confers the Combat Diver tab, a symbol of honor, integrity, team spirit, and unwavering perseverance.
Key aspects of training included: - Combat proficiency: Individual field craft, navigation, fire movement, and SAR21 weapon handling - Water confidence training: These differ from water elements in standard BMT, and essential for progression into the Combat Diver Course.
Selected as 1 of only 4 problem setters out of 50+ applicants for the Singapore Economics League (SEL) 2025, a premier national economics competition attracting 115 teams and 487 participants. I was appointed to the core Academic Team, where I led macroeconomics question development, while also contributing to questions with other topics such as game theory, financial economics and advanced microeconomics. Key contributions: - Spearheaded macroeconomics content, creating questions spanning fiscal policy, monetary dynamics, growth theory, and institutional analysis. - Set problems across a range of difficulty levels, from accessible GCE A-level H2 questions to undergraduate-level applications, ensuring both inclusivity and challenge. - Crafted cross-disciplinary questions in game theory, financial economics (e.g. speculation, interest parity) and microeconomics (e.g. behavioural economics, market design). - Integrated immersive fictional settings including Dune, Mad Max, and Ghost in the Shell to test application of economic reasoning in unfamiliar contexts. - Lauded by the academic team and organisers for clarity, rigour, and creative problem framing. - Balanced this role alongside full-time National Service as a Combat Diver.
- Appointed Concertmaster and First Violin Section Leader, leading weekly sectionals and mentoring soloists in preparation for key performances. - Performed as a featured soloist in Primavera Porteña by Astor Piazzolla, showcasing technical mastery and expressive depth. - Served as student conductor, assisting in musical direction, leading rehearsals, and stepping in for full ensemble conducting during the conductor’s absence. - Directed violin sections to optimise for individual strengths and synergy, leading to a marked improvement in ensemble cohesion and sound.
Leadership & Programme Direction - Elected Vice President and sole male member of the EXCO, leading a diverse 20+ member ensemble through major performances and administrative milestones. - Curated and structured the full concert programme for the ensemble’s biennial concert (2024), overseeing repertoire selection, scheduling, and performance logistics. - Led the planning of an inter-school CCA exchange with Nanyang Girls’ High and Hwa Chong High School, fostering collaborative music-making and mentorship across schools. - Co-authored the ensemble’s annual CCA appraisal report, contributing to its nomination for the 2025 Tan Keong Choon Excellence Award. Key Performances & Recognition - Led ensemble performances for Teachers’ Day, National Day, and major school assemblies, reaching audiences of over 1,000 students and staff per event. - Directed and performed in the 2024 biennial concert, "Candlelights", attended by over 300 audience members.
Leadership During Pandemic Constraints - Elected President of a 40+ member orchestra, leading the ensemble through a period of heightened COVID-19 restrictions. - Spearheaded and directed a full-scale school-based concert, overseeing ticketing logistics, programme structure, stage management, and health-compliance protocols. - Performed as violin soloist in all three movements of Vivaldi’s Autumn, anchoring the orchestra’s headline performance. - The concert’s YouTube recording has since surpassed 1.5K views, amplifying the orchestra’s digital footprint despite in-person limits. Collaboration & External Engagement - Co-led an inter-school CCA exchange camp with Nanyang Girls’ High, strengthening cross-institutional ties and student leadership in the arts. Innovation & Publicity Oversaw logistics and branding for new initiatives: - Launch of a YouTube performance channel. - Instagram publicity campaigns and visual storytelling. - Planning and design of official orchestra merchandise.
Shadowed and assisted Home Doctor Dr Dennis Yee from HNF in his check-ups for bedridden patients
Took part in organising the annual PEACH art exhibition online due to pandemic restrictions Managed administrative work such as information dissemination and attendance taking for the class