Second-year Chinese Media & Communication student Dennis Chew just hit a new milestone in his education journey.
If you still don’t know, the Love 972 jock, who turned 50 in August, enrolled in Ngee Ann Polytechnic last year to pursue his tertiary education. And he’s been juggling full-time studies and his radio career like a pro.
On Oct 12, Dennis took to Instagram to share that he’s been awarded The Kongzi Culture Fund’s Pei Hwa Foundation Elite Scholarship.
In his caption, he revealed that it was “the first ever scholarship” he’s been awarded, and the best gift he’s received for hitting the big five-zero.
“I’m not smart, I learn things at a slower pace than others. Thankfully I work hard, I’m not ashamed to ask questions, and I’m very persistent. I’m also thankful to be blessed with some creative talent,” wrote Dennis.
He recalled: “The other day I received a text from Guo Laoshi [which read] ‘Urgent, can you give me a call when it’s convenient?’. Turns out, I’ve been awarded the Nanyang Confucian Association scholarship for my results.”
Dennis was overcome with emotions, and thought back to when he was seated in front of three of his teachers for his school entry interview. He also had flashbacks to when he was accepted into the course in January last year, and when he officially started school in April.
“Every single day of this learning journey has been exciting. The things I thought I knew turned out to encompass so many more steps. For things that were foreign to me, I treated them as new learning experiences, and I experienced the sense of satisfaction which came with acquiring new knowledge,” he added.
Having to attend school with students less than half his age also posed its own challenges, but it seems like Dennis has navigated his way around school life just fine.
“I don’t have the energy of 17 and 18 year olds, but I had to mingle with them. Many of my classmates call me ‘dad’ because I’m older than some of their parents. I’m thankful everyone gets along very well. Kids these days are very smart, so I have to put in extra time, patience, and understanding to achieve good results. Honestly, the kids have helped me so much. You know who you are!”
Dennis also took the opportunity to thank his course manager and teachers for their patient guidance, and gave a shout-out to his bosses at Mediacorp for supporting him in his pursuit for higher learning.
“I want to tell everyone, no matter your age, if you’re determined to pursue something, go for it. Age should never hinder the passion in our hearts!” wrote Dennis.
His celeb pals, including Chen Xiuhuan, Zhong Kunhua and Hong Ling have all sent congratulatory messages his way.
Looks like Dennis has truly embodied the spirit of lifelong learning, and we can’t wait to see what he has next in store.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
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