From U-Grader to Achiever

Theng Yeong (second from right) and his classmates with their very first studio project

 By his own admission, Kong Theng Yeong was a bad student in secondary school. Homework were never completed, exams were a non-priority and he barely attended CCA. Needless to say, his grades were far from average and eventually his parents gave up on him.

But the day came when he decided to change all this.   He started to work hard for a place in the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP). He managed to get a good score for his GCE �N� Levels and chose to pursue the Diploma in Digital Media Design (Games) under the School of Interactive & Digital Media.

On enrolling in NYP via PFP, Theng Yeong said, �I wanted to get a head start on art classes through the PFP since I took food and nutrition option in secondary school. I thought I�ll be left behind since my peers would probably have an arts background.�

What initially seemed like a flippant choice for Theng Yeong turned out to be one of his best decisions.  In his three-year NYP journey, Theng Yeong racked up numerous achievements and accolades, a far cry from the non-performing student he was in secondary school.

�I�m not proud of how I wasted my time back then. But now, I can see how my life has changed so much just by putting in the effort.�

At the WorldSkills competition with his competitors

Indeed, Theng Yeong worked very hard and was on the Director�s List twice! In his third year, Theng Yeong got the opportunity to embark on an overseas internship at Kajanni University of Applied Sciences in Finland as a 3D Environment Artist.  It was a fantastic environment for a budding game designer to hone his skill as the Finns are known to hold monthly game jams on an almost national scale to generate unique ideas. There, Theng Yeong even got to visit the offices of well-known and successful entrepreneurial companies such as Rovio (Angrybirds) and Supercell (Clash of Clans).

A few days after coming home from his inspiring internship stint in Finland, Theng Yeong jetted off to the 51st Korea National Skills competition held in South Korea. There he bagged the Gold Medal in a new WorldSkills compeitition category � 3D Digital Game Art � where he had to conceptualise, create and animate a 3D fantasy game character within 22 hours. Creating a 3D character proved a tall order for Theng Yeong as his specialty was in creating 3D environments.

Despite all of his accomplishments, Theng Yeong is not resting on his laurels. �I�m glad with how I turned my life around but my parents are happier as they never thought I would realise my full potential.�

NYP helped Theng Yeong unlocked his potential.

Because We Can