3 minute read
Why It’s Important To Stay Connected
from The Voice 36
Tanglin Alumni having fun
Why it’s important to stay CONNECTED
Whether you’re a recent graduate or a past Tanglin student, staying connected with your alma mater has its benefits. Shakila Samuel, Alumni Manager, explains why.
Tanglin Trust School embraces a history that is almost 100 years old. Its alumni community can be found all over the world and the Alumni Team at Tanglin manages over 20,000 former students. In fact, we are still in touch with alumni who attended boarding School in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia during World War 2! Staying connected offers our alumni the opportunity to connect with friends they knew whilst they were at school, access old photos, attend alumni gatherings and in the last decade, many Tanglin alumni have been able to apply for monetary support through various grants and awards, made possible by the TTS Foundation.
Many of these awards have seen our alumni take on exciting challenges for both personal and professional development, whilst making a positive impact in the community around them. One such example was Charlotte Harris (2009 cohort) who was the first recipient of Tanglin’s Adventurous Expedition Award. She is currently preparing for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Rowing Challenge, an annual rowing event that sees participants row 3,000 miles between San Sebastian, Canary Islands and Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua. Charlotte, along with her partner, aim to raise more than SGD 180,000 by the end of 2021. To read her story, turn to page 42.
GIVING BACK TO TANGLIN
Aside from the benefits that one can enjoy as a Tanglin alumnus, many of our past students have also offered a lot of support to current students. Whether it’s advice on university choices, National Service or career talks, our alumni visit Tanglin on a regular basis or share their experience through virtual talks. Former Head Boy, Omar Chaudhuri (2009 cohort) who is Chief Intelligence Officer of Twenty First Group, has visited the school several times to share how data is used in today’s professional sport (football, golf etc.)—an area of work in sport that interests many of our students.
Another noteworthy example is Professor Claire Horwell (1982 cohort), who is a former Raeburn Park student based at the Durham University. She is a leading expert in volcanoes and the Director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network. Claire always makes it a point to visit Tanglin when she is in the region and loves sharing on her area of work with our students who are keen on pursuing Geography.
ALUMNI OF THE YEAR
American actress Aisha Tyler once said: “Success is not the absence of failure; it’s the persistence through failure.” This couldn’t be truer of our graduates, both past and present. Every year, we celebrate Tanglin’s generations of excellence with the Alumni of the Year Award where we recognise those who have excelled and persevered in areas of art, sport, professional work and community engagement.
In an ever-evolving economy where change is a rapid and massive norm, staying connected and giving back to Tanglin is more than just a nostalgic gesture. As a not-for-profit school, Tanglin devotes all school fees to enriching its students’ education, but this commitment doesn’t stop when they graduate. We hope that by supporting our alumni through their formative years after graduation, they will come to support our current students with the experience they have gained beyond Tanglin. It’s a win-win, no matter what! ■
Professor Claire Horwell (1982 cohort)
