May 20, 2011 07:15 PM by
AdminA diamond in the rough. This aptly describes Lourence Steven before National Service came along and transformed his life.
“I had always been an average student who had never aimed high or achieved much, but my army experience changed my whole attitude. Having to spend days in the mountainous terrain of Taiwan and the forest of Brunei really pushed me to the limit and made me realise that I could do so much more when put to the test. So, after finishing NS, I set a very clear goal for myself - get a good diploma in the next few years,” he recalled.
Lourence, who is now 25, went to a junior college before he enlisted for NS. He decided to give himself a second chance at getting a degree via the diploma route.
Today, Lourence can happily enjoy the fruits of his labour and bask in the limelight. Besides graduating as the gold medallist for the Mechanical Engineering course, he has also bagged the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Award and Ngee Ann Polytechnic Outstanding Achievement Award.
Check out his interview with Razortv here!