Norhidayah Norisham is a 22 year old Mechatronics student at ITE College Central. Her family background is complicated and money was and is still tight. Yet, this did not stop her from achieving a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and becoming one of the first recipients of the Keppel Care Foundation (KCF) scholarship.
In primary school, she distributed flyers to help support her family. She then became the main caregiver for her six younger siblings when she finished he secondary education. She took on various odd jobs including at a children's indoor playground, as well as a crowd mashaller at add-hoc events.
Norhidayah wanted to pursue her tertiary education after completing her 'N' levels. This was shelved for three years as there was urgency in holding down a job. Even then, she had to rush from her workplace in Jurong to her school.
She barely had time to study. This did not stop her from achieving perfection.
With the challenges and obstacles that came before her, Norhidayah could have easily given up. Yet, she didn't. She was determined to change her life and not let circumstances decide her future for her. She has shown herself to be a good role model for her younger siblings.
She is proof that not all Singaporean youths are strawberries.
