{"id":3837,"date":"2023-10-01T08:38:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-01T08:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-alumn-nus.pantheonsite.io\/alumnus\/?p=3837"},"modified":"2025-07-15T16:07:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T08:07:57","slug":"leaving-a-legacy-in-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.nus.edu.sg\/thealumnus\/2023\/10\/01\/leaving-a-legacy-in-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaving a Legacy in Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Throughout her life, Ms Agnes Sng has seen the value of education first-hand. \u201cI spent more than a decade in less-developed countries and saw the struggles that many people face \u2014 and how many of these could have been alleviated through a good education,\u201d she reflects. \u201cUnfortunately, accessing that education often proved challenging.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

But it is not just in far-flung places that people struggle for an education; similar challenges have existed \u2014 and continue to exist \u2014 in Singapore, as Ms Sng has observed. As an undergraduate in the 1980s, she met many contemporaries who had to forgo school activities to take on part-time jobs. \u201cThese weren\u2019t internships,\u201d recalls Ms Sng, 64, \u201cbut jobs as salesgirls and tuition teachers because their salaries would help them pay for tuition fees and schoolbooks. I was fortunately supported by my family, so I could focus on school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Ms Sng could therefore immerse herself completely in university life, including extracurricular activities and after-school programmes. \u201cThese were valuable, as they helped me bond with my classmates in social settings,\u201d she says. \u201cI made lifelong friends in NUS. Unfortunately, those who had to work part-time had fewer opportunities to fully enjoy the whole suite of activities that makes university life more enriching and forge close bonds with other students.\u201d These bonds came in useful later in her professional career. \u201cBeing able to call an old law schoolmate about a matter can make all the difference,\u201d adds Ms Sng, who has held roles in banks, non-governmental organisations and the Singapore Academy of Law.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Through the years, Ms Sng often came across news stories of students who had to give up their studies due to financial circumstances. \u201cIt was heartbreaking to hear these stories,\u201d she shares. \u201cThat\u2019s the reason why I gravitate towards bursaries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\"2a\"<\/figure>\n\n

DOING HER PART<\/h4>\n\n

\u201cThe only certainty in life is death and I\u2019m such a control freak, I like to organise things in good time,\u201d she quipped. Wanting to do more than just make small annual contributions to bursaries, Ms Sng nominated NUS Faculty of Law as a beneficiary of a substantial portion of her Central Provident Fund (CPF) monies towards a bursary in 2015. \u201cThe nomination process at CPF is very easy and free,\u201d she explains. \u201cWhen I did it in 2015, there were just some forms to be filled out at the CPF office. These days, it can also be done online on the CPF website using your Singpass. It\u2019s such a convenient way to leave a legacy,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n

Reactions to her decision were mostly supportive although one friend questioned why she had chosen to give to NUS. \u201cHe said, \u2018NUS is a rich institution!\u2019 But I feel that education institutions can never have too much money, if you want to have world-class faculty, staff and facilities for the students. Also, if you prefer your gift to directly benefit a financially needy student, you can always opt to give to a bursary.\u201d She continues, \u201cTo me, bursaries have a unique purpose. They ensure that no one is turned away from an education because of a lack of resources,\u201d explains Ms Sng. She adds that although her contribution is modest, it will still make a difference in someone\u2019s life, if many people come together to donate. \u201cIt\u2019s like when you go to a vast beach: it\u2019s made of many granules of sand. Every bit helps.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

MAKE A DIFFERENCE<\/h4>\n\n

Here\u2019s how you can give back:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n