WHEN PASSION MEETS PURPOSE: THIS 19-YEAR-OLD CHOSE A CAREER PATHWAY THAT WOULD GIVE VOICE TO THOSE WHO CANNOT SPEAK

Ms Seow Xinning hopes to continue her career of service through speech therapy after graduating from the Singapore Institute of Technology

By Bryant Chan

Feb 22, 2022

Community service has always occupied a special place in Ms Seow Xinning’s heart. Since 2018, the 19-year-old had a hand in several community projects.

She volunteered at a geriatric ward and conducted health-screening tests for migrant workers, took part in an outreach programme for underprivileged communities and helped raise funds for patients affected by muscular dystrophy.

“My community involvement in serving these patients gave me glimpses into the healthcare needs of diverse groups of beneficiaries, and it lit my heart of compassion for the underprivileged in our society,” says Ms Seow.

When it came time for her to choose a course for her post-secondary education, she chose a career pathway that would give voice – literally – to those who cannot speak.

Today, she is enrolled in the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Speech and Language Therapy at Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) is a programme of study that trains future speech therapists who aim to help people with speech impairment or swallowing difficulties.

People who need speech therapy may include stroke patients who suddenly lose their ability to speak, or children who are struggling with their language development, explains Ms Seow.

A career in SLT would let her continue to serve those who need her help the most. To get there, she looked to the first Speech and Language Therapy undergraduate degree programme in Singapore.

Launched in 2020, SIT’s Bachelor of Science with Honours in Speech and Language Therapy is a four-year, direct honours degree programme that is developed in consultation with speech and language therapy practitioners from the public healthcare, community care, social services and private sectors.

“SIT is the only university in Singapore that offers various Allied Health degree programmes, which sparked my interest in learning about the modules under the programmes offered and what the pedagogy is like,” she says.

The university works closely with various public and private healthcare providers to ensure that its students gain invaluable clinical experience.

At SIT, students from different specialisations under the Health and Social Sciences (HSS) cluster – radiography, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietetics and nutrition –collaborate and work together to understand how these allied health services help patients recover.

“Going to classes alongside other HSS students from various disciplines has been an excellent opportunity for me to learn more about other areas of healthcare from my friends in the other programmes,” she says.

“The exposure and connections built through my time in SIT are vital first steps to becoming a speech therapist who can work well in a multidisciplinary team that one can expect in most healthcare settings.”

Now in her first year, Ms Seow is eagerly anticipating her clinical practice education – that signature part of the SIT learning experience where students are attached to various healthcare institutions to accrue valuable on-the-job experience.

“That’s where the knowledge we have learnt in classes comes alive, such as how our bodies work and how we process languages,” she says.

“Clinical placements also allow us to learn skills we would not typically pick up in a classroom, such as the soft skills needed to communicate and build rapport with people from all walks of life,” she adds.

Ms Seow was pleasantly surprised to be awarded the SIT Scholarship at the point of admissions as it certainly made SIT an even more attractive option.

“As an SIT Scholar, I not only play my part as an ambassador for the university but I also constantly remind myself to stay grounded and ensure that nobody is left behind in our journey here at SIT,” she says.

“We also have access to the Scholars’ Engagement Programme, which is a series of specially curated programmes designed to help us reach our fullest potential.”