On 11 December 2023, three NUS students with disabilities - Kimberly Quek Hwee (Year 3, Yale-NUS College), Nicolette Koh Shi Jing (Year 2, Pharmacy) and Rajpal Nirat Singh (Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences) - were honoured with the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards for their promise to pursue greater heights in areas of talent and community service.
Kimberly Quek Hwee's remarkable journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment to excellence. She is a passionate youth inclusion advocate and Deaf bowler whose remarkable achievements echo beyond the lanes. Beyond securing a Silver in the women’s doubles event at the Deaflympics 2022, she emerged as the most bemedalled athlete at the ASEAN Deaf Bowling Championships in Manila, Philippines, in April 2019, with four gold medals and one bronze medal. Her journey of personal growth included mastering a new language, achieving a perfect score of seven points in the IB Malay ab initio examination.
Kimberly showcased the synergy between academic commitment and extracurricular excellence. She stands as a beacon for the pressing need for enhanced disability education and awareness. Kimberly’s engagement in community service and leadership as a NUS Enablers committee lead and student associate with the Yale-NUS Intercultural Engagement Office endeared her to peers and mentors alike. As a NUS Enablers committee lead, she works closely with Nicolette in advocating for the deaf and people with disabilities by organising events such as the NUS Enablers orientation camp 2023 and supporting various disability-related projects led by various NUS groups such as SIGNapse. Kimberly is also a member of Team Comm-petent who designed a disability communications module to teach medical students communication skills through simulated clinical scenarios involving standardised patients with disabilities at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. At Yale-NUS College, she has led multiple deaf awareness initiatives such as the Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) table, a space for students and staff to communicate in SgSL.
Kimberly’s achievements are not isolated events but a result of consistent effort, commitment to growth, and a genuine passion for both sports and education. By aligning her goals with her values, she becomes an inspiration for students navigating the challenges of university life.
Nicolette Koh Shi Jing emerged triumphant in her pursuit of education despite facing profound hearing loss since the age of three. Enduring three major surgeries for cochlear implants during her childhood, Nicolette transformed adversity into passion, fuelled by a curiosity about the medicinal components aiding her recovery. Nicolette emphasises that, with support and perseverance, individuals with disabilities can achieve fulfilling lives.
Nicolette attained a sterling academic record at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, achieving a near-perfect GPA of 3.97. She graduated as valedictorian from NP with a Diploma with Merit in Pharmaceutical Sciences. For her achievements, she was also conferred the “Ngee Ann Outstanding Achievement” award and the “Gold Medal and Prize Award”. During her time in NP, Nicolette joined the NP Mentoring Club as an executive mentor where she supported underprivileged students, organised bonding sessions and collaborated with organisations to run workshops and events.
Nicolette extends her influence beyond personal triumphs, actively contributing to the community as an inclusion advocate. She co-founded an inclusive co-curricular activity at NP dedicated to creating safe, accessible and inclusive spaces for students through raising awareness and providing social-emotional support to students with disabilities.
Nicolette is currently serving as a President in NUS Enablers in her commitment to campaigning for people with disabilities. She promotes cohesion amongst the members, organises sign language classes for NUS and conducts disability etiquette talks. Recently, she led NUS’ first contingent at the Purple Parade 2023 as well as the campaign activation at UTown. She works with various organisations and forges collaboration amongst the interest groups in NUS to forge better integration and harmony. In February 2024, Enabler’s flagship annual event, Inclusive Fest, will be spread across the month such as a booth at mOSAic Fest and a Human Library sharing session which Nicolette will be overseeing.
Celebrating the indomitable spirit is a posthumous recognition of Rajpal Nirat Singh's transformative impact. In a poignant tribute, the Global Community Tertiary Education Awards (GCTEA) recognised the late Rajpal Nirat Singh for his outstanding contributions to the realm of social impact. A luminary figure, Nirat was the visionary behind "Hearing Vietnam", a non-profit organisation dedicated to serving the needs of the deaf and hearing-impaired in Vietnam.
Even in his absence, Nirat's legacy continues to resonate as he leaves behind a trail of empowerment and heightened awareness about disabilities. His unfortunate passing in September, following a medical emergency, marked the end of a chapter, but the impact of his advocacy for persons with disabilities persists.
Michael Ngu, Chairman of the GCTEA Evaluation Panel, expressed the collective sadness over Nirat's demise. Despite the sombre occasion, the panel deemed it fitting to bestow a posthumous award upon him, acknowledging his unwavering commitment to amplifying disability awareness.
About the Awards
Ahe Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards (GCTEA), launched in 2019 by the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund (GCTEF), celebrated the accomplishments of individuals with disabilities. Administered by SG Enable and supported by MediaCorp, this initiative aims to empower people with disabilities to contribute to society and lead socially integrated lives actively.
The Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund (GCTEF) is a community fund administered by SG Enable and supported by Mediacorp, with ESM Goh Chok Tong as its Patron. It strives to empower individuals with disabilities, offering them opportunities to actively contribute to society and lead socially integrated lives.
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