​Be positive and face challenges head-on to build mental resilience.

For most of you, secondary school days are one of the most exciting and carefree times in your life. You hang out with friends, enjoy life as a teen and mostly stress about doing well in school. But unlike normal teens, Benny had more things to worry about.

Trials and Tribulations


His dad was diagnosed with a rare chronic health disease that required regular health checks and examinations with specialists. Despite having to juggle his schoolwork and family situation, Benny still did well in secondary school. He even received bursary awards for five years consecutively and got accepted into a polytechnic in 2005.

The Jaded Years


The first day at school is usually surreal and blurry for some, but after Benny's first day in poly, it was clear to him that he didn't need tertiary education to succeed in life. He quit school at the age of 18 and entered the army.

Developing Mental Resilience When The Going Gets Tough


Benny took a turn in life after completing his national service. He started working in a corporate sales position but soon realised that he had made the wrong move. Though he performed well during his employment period and earned positive testimonies from his employers, he couldn't advance in his career with only an 'O' level cert.

Maintaining A Positive Attitude


Faced with yet another bump in his life, Benny questioned his existence and what he wanted in life. Despite being at his lowest, Benny did not give up. Instead, he looked on the brighter side of things and decided that it was time to give his education another shot.

Shining Bright


Though he has been away from school for five years, Benny trained himself to be an independent learner at Republic Polytechnic (RP) with the support from his facilitators and the school's Problem-Based Learning approach.

Currently doing well in studies, he aims to follow his mum and sister's footsteps and work in the Healthcare sector. Benny also found his calling in RP's Service-Learning Club with his strong interest in conceptualising events and community service and has led many community service-learning projects.

From family issues to financial problems and identity crisis, Benny has gone through many obstacles in life. Yet, he was able to pick himself up after falling and bounced back stronger to get to where he is now.

"RP changed my views on studies and on life, and I am grateful to be where I am today. RP has transformed my life".​