Chew Wen Yan
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Raring to go
Chew Wen Yan is the very first graduate from the first batch of Quantedge Foundation Scholars at the Singapore Management University. She graduated from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business with a major in Finance in July 2020. Highly driven and goal-focused, Wen Yan made the most of her three years at university and completed her coursework a year ahead of most of her peers! She balanced her heavy courseload with part-time work during the academic terms, while finding time to volunteer, go for an overseas exchange programme and take on a summer internship... Young and raring to go, this newly minted SMU graduate has just embarked on a career in the Financial Services Team at Ernst & Young Assurance Services. |
Unlike the majority of your cohort, you chose to complete your SMU journey in three years. Can you share how you came to this decision?
Although the SMU Access - Quantedge Foundation Scholarship could support me for a full four years at SMU, my goal from the outset was to try to complete my university education in 3 years. Why? I believe that an early graduation would give me a head start in my career. It enables me to start accumulating relevant work experiences and build my professional networks.
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Completing the university coursework in 3 years is achievable if one plans ahead. With my tuition fees already covered under the SMU Access initiative, I was able to accumulate some savings from my part-time work to attend summer school in South Korea at the end of my first year and be on track for graduation in three years. I was also blessed to have a friend in SMU with the same goal - together, we powered through 5 course modules every semester!
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"I believe that an early graduation would give me a head start in my career. It enables me to start accumulating relevant work experiences and build my professional networks."
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If you could sum up your university experience in one word, what would it be and why?
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Fulfilling.
My university experience has been a fulfilling one. Back in junior college, there were few opportunities for group work, besides the one course on Project Work. Learning at SMU was a different experience altogether, with its strong focus on group projects. I learnt how to plan ahead of time to complete my projects early. Besides time management, I learnt how to build effective working relationships with others and to work towards shared goals. These were eye-opening learning experiences that will prepare me well for my career. |
Exploring South Korea with my friend, Yan Han, at Common Ground Seoul, South Korea's first pop-up store built with shipping containers.
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"I learnt how to plan ahead of time to complete my projects early. Besides time management, I learnt how to build effective working relationships with others and to work towards shared goals. These were eye-opening learning experiences that will prepare me well for my career."
Beyond academics, I had an enriching three years outside of the classroom as well. I had the opportunity to represent the school under the Ultimate Frisbee team at an annual Rascal Development Tournament and formed memorable friendships. I immersed myself in a different culture when attending summer school at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea. In addition, I completed an internship with Porsche Asia Pacific, which coincidentally lies within the same building as Quantedge Foundation! The internship gave me a peek into the real working world and allowed me to put my theoretical knowledge into practice.
Could you share with us some highlights of your life as a university student?
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One of the highlights of my university life was being able to return to my alma-mater, Stamford Primary School, with other Quantedge Foundation Scholars to run a 40-week community literacy and numeracy programme, Nurture, for disadvantaged students.
I am thankful to be the students’ mentor over two years, imparting problem-solving and communication skills to them. Spending time with the students reminded me of my younger self and it heartens me every time I bring a smile to their faces. Returning to my primary school felt like a trip down the memory lane and being able to volunteer there was also a way of giving back to the school. |
"I am thankful to be the students’ mentor over two years, imparting problem-solving and communication skills to them. Spending time with the students reminded me of my younger self and it heartens me every time I bring a smile to their faces.
Returning to my primary school felt like a trip down the memory lane and being able to volunteer there was also a way of giving back to the school." |
How was your summer school experience at Sungkyunkwan University, Korea?
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I spent an exciting summer in South Korea immersing in and learning about a different culture. I took 2 general education modules at Sungkyunkwan University: (i) Discover Korea (on Korea's history) and (ii) Energy and Environment, and interacted with the local university students there.
In our spare time, my friend and I had the chance to try out new food and explore the tourist attractions in South Korea. The experience was truly enriching and memorable. |
On graduation day at Sungkyunkwan University's canteen
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How did your internship with Porsche Asia Pacific shape your career?
After my second year in university, I did a finance internship at the Asia Pacific office of Porsche, one of the largest sports automotive firms in the world.
With my fellow interns at Porsche Asia Pacific
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As Porsche Asia Pacific has a relatively flat organisational structure, I was able to learn directly from my finance director and supervisor, who were both empowering and nurturing. They trusted me to take ownership of my work and offered opportunities to sit in and observe their meetings with external parties. My managing director also took good care of the interns’ welfare and made sure that we did not have to work overtime!
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The internship at Porsche gave me a sneak peek into the finance profession and prepared me well for my current career in financial services.
What advice and tips do you have for your juniors in the QF Scholar Community?
Know what your priorities are and what you want out of university. It is important to figure out quickly what you want to achieve in university and work towards those goals. From time to time, take a break and remember not to stress yourself out too much.