Scaling Greater Heights

Dickson (extreme left) with his fellow interns and colleagues

Dickson Tan Boon Keong
Alumnus, Diploma in Business Management
School of Business Management

Judging from his long list of achievements, you wouldn�t have guessed that Dickson is visually-impaired. Making the Director�s List at SBM for four consecutive semesters with a GPA score of 3.92, he has also received the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Scholarship for Persons with Disabilities.

Dickson recalled the strong support his lecturers gave him through his challenging academic journey. Because he required a costly computer software called Screen Reader, which reads displayed content, to enable him to study and take exams, NYP installed the software in a computer on campus to facilitate his learning. His lecturers provided electronic copies of everything he needed. They were mindful of his condition and would always make an effort to describe drawings or visual elements on the whiteboard for his understanding. Not just that, they also had the foresight to start Dickson�s internship placement process early, easing his worries about not being able to find an attachment because of his visual impairment. Dickson successfully completed his internship at IBM Singapore.

Currently a first-year Computer Science student at National University of Singapore, Dickson�s poly experience has given him an advantage compared to his peers from Junior College. The skills he picked up, like communications, time management and group project collaboration, were beneficial to him. Inspired by how extensively technology helped him in his daily life, Dickson shared, �I hope to be able to use technology to help others, not only people with visual-impairments like myself, but to benefit people at large.�

Inspired by Dickson�s adventure in pursuit of further studies? Be innovative and enterprising, choose your own adventure at NYP Open House from 8 to 10 Jan 2015!

Published in the December 2014 Issue of Teenage Magazine. Reproduced with Permission.