Serving communities with a smile

Dorothy Teo
Dorothy Teo is a 2nd year undergraduate in the School of Accountancy at the Singapore Management University and a Quantedge Foundation Scholar since 2018. ​Dorothy intends to major in taxation and be a part of Singapore’s Accounting profession. She is passionate about travelling and wishes to visit Dubai one day.

You were determined to enter SMU since you were in secondary school. Why? Tell us more about your journey to SMU.

When I was 13 years old, I would frequently pass by SMU thinking how lucky I would be if I were one of the students sitting in the seminar rooms of the Lee Kong Chian School of Business. Apart from it being a city campus, I never knew exactly my reasons for developing such a strong affinity for SMU. When I was 16, my English teacher told me just before the national GCE ‘O’ Level exams that I had the potential to be a university graduate. She saw how determined I was and how I would complete my assignments way before the deadlines. She talked to me almost every week, telling me that I had what it took to ace my national exams. With her encouragement, I began to see myself going into SMU after Polytechnic.
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How time flies! I am now a 2nd-year student. Everything seems to be moving faster compared to when I was in my first year. It was tough initially, with all the adjustments I had to make to adapt to SMU’s study culture, but everything is fine now!

Imagine yourself in three years. What do you hope will be different about you then compared to now?

When I graduate, I aspire to join one of the Big Four accounting firms as a tax associate. I had a stint as a Corporate Tax intern in Ernst & Young for 6 months in 2017 where I was exposed to the intricacies of Singapore’s corporate taxation system and was intrigued. I developed a strong interest in this area of specialisation and am working towards a career as a tax accountant. While some might say that it is still early to set my mind on a specific career path, I am definitely looking forward to building a career in taxation.
One skill set I would like to hone at SMU is in Human Resources, as I believe it is important to manage emotions and inter-personal conflicts at the workplace effectively. I hope to acquire good communication skills to express myself clearly, empathy to understand where people are coming from before making any judgement, as well as skills in negotiation and mediation. As I am someone who is often eager to get work done as soon as possible, I am also working at cultivating greater patience when working in teams and being deliberate in pausing to reflect on what is really important.
"I believe it is important to manage emotions and inter-personal conflicts at the workplace effectively. I hope to acquire good communication skills to express myself clearly, empathy to understand where people are coming from before making any judgement, as well as skills in negotiation and mediation."
Work aside, I hope to develop my cooking skills because I want to cook good meals for my future kids and family. Right now, I am a master at cooking spicy instant noodles (mee goreng) and a sunny side-up egg. I wish to be able to cook various dishes in Peranakan cuisine, maybe even learn how to make Din Tai Fung’s xiao long bao!
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Dorothy is a member of the Taiwan DIY Baking Club.

You are actively involved in community service. Tell us how it all began and what motivates you to give back to the community. 

I have clocked approximately 80 hours of community service (might be more!) so far and it has definitely been one of the best experiences of my entire SMU journey. Community service takes me out of the rat race and allows me to take a break from all the hustle and bustle of the classroom.
"Community service takes me out of the rat race and allows me to take a break from all the hustle and bustle of the classroom."
As part of the programme with Beyond Social Services for the GIC Sparks and Smiles Award I received in 2018, I mentored a Primary 5 boy. Over a period of 4 to 5 months, I built rapport with my mentee, providing guidance and encouraging him in his studies and personal life. I would meet him weekly to help him with his school assignments and we would occasionally go to Redhill Swimming Pool for a swim to relax. I also worked closely with Beyond’s staff to ensure that his (and his family’s) various needs are met. My experience as part of the GIC Sparks and Smiles programme made me realise that everyone has their own battles to fight, even at a very young age.
​In addition, I have participated in missionary trips to Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia to serve the needs of the locals there. These trips have helped to put my personal challenges and difficulties in perspective. Looking at how the locals in Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia were happy with what little they had, I have learnt to be at peace with myself and to be grateful for what I have, even when I have no control over certain situations in my life.  While I do not currently have any plans for another overseas mission, I would love to visit Cambodia again, perhaps in 2020.
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Taken during my missionary trip in Cambodia while playing the game "The floor is lava".
" I have learnt to be at peace with myself and to be grateful for what I have, even when I have no control over certain situations in my life."

One or two sentences to describe what is important to you.

​Enjoy now, suffer later. Suffer now, enjoy later.

​​What advice and tips do you have for a new QF scholar on how to navigate the first semester in SMU?

You may feel overwhelmed initially, especially when you see how others are doing fine. Sometimes when you enter your class, you may see others appearing calm and knowledgeable – and you start to panic. Actually, everyone is panicking inside – it’s just a matter of how we each choose to portray ourselves.
" I took one whole academic year to figure out SMU’s culture, and that is okay because everyone has a different journey to walk. Just because you are at Chapter 1 doesn’t mean that you will not reach your destination."
Don’t worry, you will eventually figure everything out. I took one whole academic year to figure out SMU’s culture, and that is okay because everyone has a different journey to walk. Just because you are at Chapter 1 doesn’t mean that you will not reach your destination.
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