I started my NYP journey with the Poly Foundation Programme (PFP) route and I’m now a WorldSkills gold medallist
School of Design & Media
Zoe Ow
Diploma in Digital Game Art and Design, Year 3
Before enrolling into NYP, I debated between design and engineering. Eventually, my fascination for both art and games won me over and I decided to take Digital Game Art and Design – a course which combines my interests. I picked the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) route because I was very sure what I wanted to do. So instead of staying an extra year to do the ‘O’ levels in Sec 5, we do the PFP in the poly of our choice.
During my secondary school days, I’d visited NYP’s School of Design & Media (SDM) and immediately, something clicked: I knew this was my poly. I felt really comfortable.
My PFP year was a very happy one. I met many like-minded friends who shared the same love for art and design. We gave each other really honest feedback on our work. I also learnt about traditional arts – like painting and doing crafts – and this gave me a strong foundation before I moved on to digital game art.
For the next two years, my interest in my field grew. I adopted the attitude of being curious about everything I learnt. My lecturers inspired me daily – by challenging me while also sharing new knowledge and technical skills. For example, when I design and draw characters or objects, my lecturers would suggest defining shapes for their silhouettes to portray their function, personality and history. This helped me to make gradual improvements.
When I reached my final year, I was shortlisted for WorldSkills in 3D Digital Game Art. Together with two other girls – Jing Yi and Zoe Lim (yes, same first name as me!) – we trained for months. We became best friends. In October 2020, I received the gold medal, together with Jing Yi.
Being in WorldSkills taught me to be very disciplined. At first, I thought I would be easily distracted by games or my phone. But I realised I could actually sit down for hours and concentrate. Sometimes, I was so engrossed that I would forget my meals.
I will be graduating with a GPA of 3.8. I feel that my PFP head start and SDM years have made a great impact on me. I love what I do and am passionate about my work.
In future, I plan to further my studies in a university like DigiPen. There's also a chance I may work to gain experience first, because, after all, my industry is portfolio-based.
#BecauseWeCan