Tan Pei Ying

Discover SIM GE Seize the present moment, exhorts the mural at SIM GE campus, a philosophy practised by Pei Ying who balances studies with helping in several student-led projects KOPI with Minister, interviewing students for profile stories in SIM GE’s VIBES magazine, looking after injured animals, and even helping to raise funds for a UN poverty alleviation project are some of the many activities that Tan Pei Ying has been involved since 2010. As REACH Student Ambassador, she helped organise a "Kopi With Minister" session on October 3, 2011 at SIM. Present were Acting Minister Chan Chun Sing and Dr Amy Khor, who engaged students on the topics of social media and its impact on active citizenry. During the 90-minute dialogue, students expanded the discussion topics to include issues such as support for sportsmen in National Service and policy-making considerations for overall social inclusiveness. “Forums such as this provided SIM students the opportunity to interact with policymakers first hand,” says Pei Ying, 32. “Students are exposed to perspectives beyond the classroom and they develop confidence for public discussion. It was heartening to note that SIM students from across degree programmes responded enthusiastically to these events.” Her own personal initiatives this year (2013) include writing to companies to support an impoverished community of 300 women and children in Tanzania, under a United Nations poverty-alleviation programme. And on some weekends, she goes to Madam Wong’s Animal Shelter for injured, unwanted animals to help feed and clean the little critters. Meanwhile, there’re assignments to do and mugging for her final semester exams in May 2013 in Human Resource Management, Macroeconomics, Management Science, Corporate Finance and Organisational Theory, all part of her University of London’s BSc (Hons) in Economics & Management. It was almost impossible to catch a free moment with Pei Ying, 31, petite, earnest and dauntless, with her energetic commitment to better both herself and everyone else she meets. Aspirations and commitment Pei Ying’s long-term goal is to work in an NGO or in a UN-linked agency on women’s rights and gender issues. Right now, though, the going is tough for her Tanzania project. The NGO in charge of housing and teaching the women and children is underfunded and Pei Ying helps them in budgeting and writing letters to potential corporate donors. It is an unhill task, she says, because donors want to be sure their money is put into good use. Tanzania, in east Africa, is far away and short of making a trip there, Pei Ying doesn’t have any practical answer to this question. “I have approached some foundations, but so far I have not had any success,” she says. The Tanzanian women are taught soap-making, sewing and even computing, to equip them with vocational skills. They need a sewing machine, which is relatively inexpensive to buy in Singapore but which is expensive to ship to Tanzania. But Pei Ying remains hopeful that a solution can be found. Pei Ying who has a polytechnic diploma in retail travel, likes to travel, not for sightseeing but to learn about the living conditions of the local folks. For instance, on a trip to Cambodia in September 2012, she explored the back streets of Siem Reap city for a week. She also took a four-hour boat ride to an obscure waterborne village of Moat Khla on Lake Siam Reap. “It is a cut-off community of a few hundred people. Some are Vietnamese refugees and some locals, but they have no where to live except on the water of this lake. “Conditions are bad and they lack bare necessities, including food, clothing and schooling for the children. Once a month, a floating clinic funded by Project Impact Norway, provides medical treatment.” Study smart Pei Ying first studied at Nanyang Polytechnic (1998-2001) where she received her Diploma in Business Management in retail travel. She worked in several places before she enrolled at SIM-UOL in 2009. From her own study experience, she says students should read up the day or week before a lecture. This prepares their mind to listen and understand better during the lecture presentation. Another tip on studying smart and doing well in exams is to do additional research in the well-stocked Tay Eng Soon Library and also online, so one has more material to back up one’s answers. Some of Pei Ying’s favourite academic modules include Management Science Methods because it allows her to make sales performance predictions, and Human Resource Management. - Interviewed and posted online, April 2013 Pei Ying keeping her cool during exam fever period at SIM GE campus [rev_slider alias="sim-achievers-campaign-2019"]