This Scholarship Helped a Campus Couple Find Community and Love Abroad

May 21, 2025

How a Scholarship Helped a Campus Couple Find Community and Love Abroad

In this beautiful love story, a girl from Selangor meets a boy from Ipoh. Once strangers from the same country, Ms Tan Ke Yin (Engineering ’18) and Mr Lau Jing Xuan (Engineering ’18) would cross paths multiple times during their years at the National University of Singapore (NUS). But one common fate drew them close — they became the first two recipients of the inaugural Yoonhee Annhow Sri Solidarity Jaya Scholarship a decade ago. Within the Scholarship network, they not only found a sense of belonging, but they also found each other.

For international students like them, navigating unchartered grounds in a foreign country can be challenging. The Scholarship provided a community that felt like a home away from home.

“Relocating to Singapore alone can be daunting, laden with challenges of adapting to a new country and cultural adjustment. In such circumstances, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie is not only beneficial, but essential. This supportive network acts as a beacon of comfort, alleviating the stress and anxiety that often accompanies navigating unfamiliar territories,” said Ms Tan, a Senior Quality Assurance Engineer at Shopee Singapore.

Both NUS Engineering graduates had their fair share of struggles making friends during their early days at NUS. Mr Lau lost the chance to mingle with his peers because he did not secure on-campus accommodation. He also missed the in-person registration for orientation activities because he could only arrive in Singapore shortly before the semester started.

While Ms Tan managed to attend an orientation camp, she faced an isolating experience that was seared into her memory. She recalled: “I encountered a hurdle during the ice-breaking activities, which heavily relied on references to Singaporean Junior Colleges — a concept unfamiliar to me as an international student. At that moment, I experienced a sense of isolation and disconnection from my peers, as I struggled to engage fully in the proceedings.”

Connecting with Malaysians at NUS significantly eased their transition into Singapore. As their community of friends grew, so did the schoolmates’ relationship. The schoolmates spent countless hours at Scholarship meet-ups, study sessions in the hostel lounge and activities at the NUS Malaysian Society. Their friendship blossomed into a romance during their fourth year at NUS and the school sweethearts tied the knot in 2023.

Having seen how far the campus couple has come, Ms Stephanie Chan, the daughter of the Scholarship’s benefactor Mr Chen Chin Shen, expressed her heartfelt joy for the newlyweds.

“I heard Ms Tan’s mother say, ‘I am so happy that this Scholarship also gave me a future son-in-law’. I am very happy for them; it is fulfilling to see them build a home together,” she shared.

Reflecting on their journey from fellow scholarship recipients to life partners, Ms Tan expressed: “Our shared experiences provided a wealth of common topics for conversation. Even after graduating from NUS, Ms Chan continued to extend invitations for us to participate in scholar activities. This ongoing involvement has been a thread connecting us from our days as friends to our time as a campus couple, and now as husband and wife.”

The joyful union of the two pioneer recipients is a surprising outcome that exceeds the Scholarship’s mission of fostering solidarity among Malaysians studying at NUS. The couple exemplifies how bonds formed through a community can transcend time and create lifelong connections.

Ms Tan Ke Yin (centre in light blue shirt) and Mr Lau Jing Xuan (behind her in navy blue shirt) with their junior scholars

As the steward of the Scholarship, Ms Chan has become an unofficial mentor, taking students under her wing. When catching up with scholars at the annual meet-ups, which she initiates, Ms Chan is heartened to see them offer emotional and practical support, from welcoming newcomers to recommending their juniors for job openings at their then company.

Ms Chan deeply resonates with the need for a community, drawing from her childhood experience of moving to Singapore to study at a young age. Vividly recalling the immense pressure of living away from home, Ms Chan shared: “My father sent me to Singapore to study when I was 13. I was young and I always felt lonely. As a foreign student, it is tough to be away from family, yet you still have to compete academically. While emotional support for each other is invisible, it is important.”

Scholarships Provide a Community and Social Mobility to Students

This year marks the 10th year of the Yoonhee Annhow Sri Solidarity Jaya Scholarship providing a safe harbour for Malaysians at NUS. The Scholarship also holds the transformative power to be a social leveller for deserving students from less affluent families, removing barriers to academic excellence and personal growth.

“My father did not have a good education and came from a humble family. He has seen how the Hakka community clan’s poor migrants have worked their way up and broken the poverty chain through education. A family does not have to be stuck in poverty if one of the children can go through higher education. In fact, the rest of the family members will benefit as well. You do not have to miss opportunities because of financial constraints,” said Ms Chan.

Thanks to the Scholarship, the recipients have maximised opportunities to explore overseas university exchange programmes. Ms Tan attended a summer exchange programme at Hanyang University in Korea, while Mr Lau participated in a study exchange programme in Finland during his third year.

“The Scholarship alleviated the financial burden of tuition fees, which has been a tremendous relief for my parents and me. With the financial support provided, I was able to seize the opportunity to do a study exchange programme in Finland. I immersed myself in a new culture and educational environment for a semester. The eye-opening experience allowed me to broaden my horizons, gain a deeper understanding of different cultures, and develop valuable skills such as adaptability and intercultural communication,” he said, recounting fond memories of his Finland stint.

Mr Lau on his Finland exchange.

The Yoonhee Annhow Sri Solidarity Jaya Scholarship has profoundly impacted Mr Lau, transforming his outlook and influencing his actions in his daily life. Empowered by the help he received from his community, the software engineer at Decathlon is committed to paying it forward and uplifting the lives of others.

“Whether through volunteering, mentoring or simply lending a listening ear, I endeavour to contribute positively to the wellbeing of those around me. I am committed to leveraging my experiences and resources to create opportunities for others, just as the Yoonhee Annhow Sri Solidarity Jaya Scholarship has done for me. I aspire to be a catalyst for positive change in my community and to inspire others to embrace the principles of unity and solidarity in their own lives,” concluded Mr Lau.