Ms Shuner Villanueva Leong remembers bursting into tears when she was handed a Singapore flag and told to join two other competitors on stage for the announcement of the winners at the WorldSkills competition in London in 2011.
"They announced the winner for bronze, and then the winner for silver, but my name still hadn't been called yet. I cried even more!" said Ms Leong, 34.
A beauty therapy student at the time, she became the first participant from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to win a gold medal. She was also Singapore's first gold medal winner in beauty therapy at the international competition, which is often called the Youth Olympics of vocational skills.
Ms Leong, who became an ITE lecturer in 2015 after attaining a diploma in beauty therapy, now trains students for the WorldSkills contest.
The biennial competition, held in different countries every edition, challenges young people to show their vocational skills in categories such as creative arts and fashion, construction and building technology, information and communication technology, and transportation and logistics.
Contestants are usually no older than 23.
Apart from the global event, the competition is also held at the regional and national levels.
In September, 35 young people from ITE, polytechnics and SBS Transit will represent Singapore in 30 skill areas at the 47th WorldSkills competition in Lyon, France, to be held from Sept 10 to 15.
This is the biggest team Singapore is sending to the global event since its maiden participation in 1995.
The Republic's representatives include winners at the local and regional WorldSkills competitions.
Among them is Ms Christine Huang, 20, a first-year beauty and wellness management diploma student at ITE College East.
She will compete in the same category as Ms Leong, who has been helping with her preparations.
Denne historien er fra August 28, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 28, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Touring exhibition of graffiti artist Banksy to open in Singapore in December
The guerilla-style political art of anonymous graffiti artist Banksy, which has popped up on streets in cities worldwide, will finally grace vandalism-tough Singapore this December—albeit indoors.
Bag brand Aupen's founder is former national swimmer Nicholas Tan
The Singapore-founded bag brand Aupen has been seen on the arms of pop superstars Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce, but the team behind the trendy label has largely kept a low profile—until now.
Music from Bridgerton in upcoming concert
Fans of the Netflix historical romance series Bridgerton (2020 to present) are in for a treat as songs from the hit show will be performed in Singapore.
Travel news Travel discounts at Trafalgar Tours' showcase
From Nov 6 to 10, Trafalgar Tours, a brand under travel company The Travel Corporation (TTC), is holding its first travel fair at the level one atrium of shopping centre Plaza Singapura.
Musical Six retells stories of Henry VIII's wives in pop-concert style
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived - this is how most people remember the six wives of 16th-century King of England Henry VIII.
Nafa's hopes of building a print archive
The acquisition of a collection from Typesettingsg, Singapore's only letterpress heritage studio, has increased its holdings by about 10 times
Brotherly bonds cut deeper than blades
Psychological thriller Pierce offers a bracing portrait of how young men seek out and cling to male role models
Thousands of girls sold and forced into sex trade in India
West Bengal a key trafficking hub, with more than 50,000 girls missing
Dua Lipa gets Singapore crowd 'levitating'
The words \"training season's over\" flashed on the screen as British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa took the Singapore Indoor Stadium stage on Nov 5 to kick off her Radical Optimism Tour.
4 movies, 2 islands
Singapore film-makers look to Taiwan for funding, hands-on support, cultural kinship
