It’s Never Too Late
School of Business Management
Back then, Daniel Ng was hardly what you’d call a good student: He played truant and stayed away from home for weeks. He even had several close brushes with the law.
Today, he’s a well-liked Marketing student who made the Director’s List for six consecutive semesters. He has also bagged an ‘A’ grade for his internship at DBS Bank. He will be graduating in May with a Diploma with Merit and a GPA of 3.83.
Daniel has come a long way, having to take his GCE 'O’ Level exams thrice, before finally managing to secure a place in NYP after his NS.
We spoke to him to find out more.
1. We heard you used to get involved with bad company. What was your turning point?
My turning point came just before I enlisted for National Service. I discovered that I had a benign tumor growing from my oesophagus that had to be removed.
After my operation, I continued to experience blood loss. The doctors realised that my wound had re-opened from the inside and decided to do an emergency operation to cauterize the wound. Hours later, I was wheeled out, drained, delirious, and warded in the ICU. I needed a breathing apparatus and was tube fed.
As I laid in bed, all I saw was my family in tears outside my room. Isolated in a ward, void of all distractions, I begun to reflect and evaluate my life choices.
After my near-death experience, I thought of my recovery as a 2nd chance at life. With support from church friends, and my parents’ unconditional love, I was determined to turn my life around.
I knew that I had no qualifications back then and I wouldn’t be able to support myself, much less my parents. But I decided that I never wanted to see my parents cry over me again.
2. What is one thing the people closest to you don't know about you?
Contrary to my tough exterior, I love animals, and have a soft spot for cats (way more than dogs). One day, I’d love to travel the world and build shelters for all the stray kittens (:
3. Who's your favourite lecturer and why?
Ms Samantha Chan. She takes time to get to know her students on a personal level. She makes small talk to build rapport with us. She is able to conduct interesting lectures by sharing her past work experience. This keeps the students engaged. She is also very approachable and always ready to help.
4. What was your favourite module in NYP? Why?
Business law. I love the fact that it is intellectually stimulating and pretty much based on logic. It helps one to be more perceptive, and to adopt a multifaceted approach when analysing situations – which is especially useful in the business industry.
#BecauseWeCan