By P Mukkesh Kumar

“An educated man is a man who never stops learning and wants to learn”

– Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Mr Lee had always valued education. Education has been my door of opportunity to achieve the goals in my life. Indeed, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Scholarship has paved the way for me to learn further and excel in life.

As an SIT scholar, I am deeply grateful to have been given the opportunity to represent my university during the Special Parliamentary Session (SPS) at Parliament House where I paid tribute to the late Mr Lee.

During my visit to the lying in state, I was deeply moved by the eulogies delivered by the various speakers. I was particularly moved by Mr Lee’s devotion to his wife. In their final years, Mr Lee had made it a point to read and speak to Mrs Lee every night. This is one side of Mr Lee which would forever remain in my mind.

There is plenty that I can learn from Mr Lee. By holding firmly onto the values espoused by Mr Lee, I too hope to be a leader of excellence and actively contribute to Singapore’s future development.

I see myself as an educator-cum-researcher who will give back to Singapore, the nation that has shaped me.

One of my greatest aspirations is to set up a scholarship programme to financially support students working through life’s challenges in achieving their dreams.

P Mukkesh Kumar is a final year student reading the Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Chemical Engineering programme with Newcastle University