One of Us

Daniel Ravindran

In His Words

SC: What would you like to share with our readers?

Daniel: “Don’t give up on what you have set your minds to achieving! Follow your passion, even if the path seems long or difficult — the journey will be worthwhile. Learn from mistakes along the way, and surround yourselves with people who are driven.

Determination, Daniel Ravindran believes, is the one quality that ushered him from ITE to polytechnic, to university. Galvanised by SINDA’s youth programmes at the start, he is now back as a SINDA youth mentor to tell students that a long and winding route can still get one to one’s destination.

Daniel, at 29, does not feel out of place among the teens he is chatting with at ITE. After all, it was in ITE that Daniel found the focus and drive to pursue his aspirations, through SINDA Youth Club’s ITE Leadership Programme (ITELP) in 2015.

Then, he had joined to try something new. What he discovered was a new confidence to keep doggedly at his studies and also to take on leadership roles. Spurred on by his ITELP peers, Daniel would eventually make his way through Singapore Polytechnic and graduate from Nanyang Technological University with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. The fresh graduate is now giving back as a youth mentor in SINDA’s ITEnable programme.

Daniel connects easily with the students. He understands innately their concerns, and is using his own experiences to motivate them to work hard. It is a joy for him to encourage them — he is reminded of his own happy times with ITELP — and he wants to inspire the students to aim high, just as he was once inspired himself.

He reminds them that there are multiple opportunities and pathways to reach their goals. His message for the youths is also for all of us: Once you know what you want to achieve, believe in yourself and work towards it.