“Before I discovered my passion for robots, I felt quite lost. I actually considered pursuing a diploma in design because I like drawing, but after I joined the robotics club in secondary school, I became quite fascinated by how robots worked.

There are social robots that can talk to elderly patients, and there are also household robots that can move about without hitting any obstacles. I wanted to know more about them, so I started learning basic programming and assembly when I was about 13 or 14.

That helped greatly when I studied Mechatronics Engineering. Yes, my journey at Nanyang Polytechnic has been fun, and I’m proud to graduate with my diploma. Being a recipient of the Lee Kuan Yew Award was also a shock. It’s not easy to get, so this award is also for my friends and lecturers who guided me along the way.

My plans now? Currently, my friends and I are preparing for WorldSkills that’s taking place in Abu Dhabi. We’re very happy to have won the gold medal in the Mechatronics category at the national level, but now we’ll be representing Singapore at the international finals.

The challenge this time round will be more tedious. We were given three hours to complete one task at WorldSkills Singapore, but now we’re given six hours to complete the mechanical assembly. We’ll need to focus for a longer period of time, so our stamina has to be there.

What do my parents think? Well, everyone has different interests, so they’re happy that I at least have an interest. I’m a simple person as well. As long as I’m happy and fulfilled doing what I’m doing, that’s enough for me.” – Eljer, 20

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