Raring to go

Chew Wen Yan
Chew Wen Yan is a graduate from the very 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 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, I aimed to complete my university education in three years to gain a head start in my career.

By planning, attending summer school in South Korea and taking five modules every semester, I was able to achieve this. Completing the coursework early allowed me to start accumulating work experience and building my professional network sooner.

If you could sum up your university experience in one word, what would it be and why?​

Fulfilling.

​My university experience has been a fulfilling one. Back in junior college, there were few opportunities for group work. Learning at SMU was a different experience, with its strong focus on group projects. I learnt to plan and manage my time, and also learnt 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.
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Exploring South Korea with my friend, Yan Han, at Common Ground Seoul, South Korea's first pop-up store built with shipping containers.
"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 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 that 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?

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 for disadvantaged students.

I am thankful to be a mentor to the students for over two years and for the opportunity to impart my problem-solving and communication skills. Spending time with the students reminded me of my younger self and it heartens me every time I bring a smile to their faces.
"I am thankful to be a mentor to the students for over two years and for the opportunity to impart my problem-solving and communication skills. Spending time with the students reminded me of my younger self and it heartens me every time I bring a smile to their faces."

How was your summer school experience at Sungkyunkwan University, Korea?

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.
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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.
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On graduation day at Sungkyunkwan University's canteen

How did your internship with Porsche Asia Pacific shape your career?​

​As Porsche Asia Pacific has a relatively flat organisational structure, I was able to learn directly from my director and supervisor, who were 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 our wellbeing and made sure that we didn’t work overtime!
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With my fellow interns at Porsche Asia Pacific
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 put too much pressure on yourself.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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