Student Stories

“Passion is your drive to achieve results.” – Devlin

Briefly share with us your current career portfolio.

I’m currently running my family-owned company that specialises in hydraulic automation. With my business degree, I’m in charge of supervising the management of the company as well as business development. I’m also a freelance photographer and have just started an online business.

We understand that you are supervising your family business as well as your own, what are the challenges you face when managing both businesses and how do you overcome them?

The main challenge is understanding how both businesses grow differently in many aspects. I have to gain expertise in hydraulic systems from the beginning and also develop business strategies in a much more modern way than what the company is used to. On the other hand, I also regularly learn new photography skills and use my connections to meet new clients. While I have the responsibility to take over the business, I’m thankful that I can still pursue my passion as a photographer too.

What was your most memorable time at PSB Academy? Could you share your experience joining PSB Academy’s Student Clubs and how that helps you now?

I was a member of PSB Academy Photography Club and MAPIA (Indonesian students association) and I also participated in a soccer tournament held by PSB Academy at that time.

There were several memorable moments when I studied at PSB Academy. I’ve always enjoyed exploring around Singapore and taking some photos. When I became the president of Photography Club, we arranged a few photography hunting sessions to raise awareness of the club among students. With some help from Student Affairs and Industry Engagement (STA), I felt so thankful that we could showcase the photos that our club members took in the City Campus to attract students to participate in our events.

We also used social media to advertise PSB Academy to prospective students. I also learnt some new skills from other students and it convinced my decision to become a freelancer photographer. Moreover, it also helped me to build connections and improved my publicity skills as I’m currently able to market my business.

Before joining Photography Club, I was also a committee member of MAPIA. Through this club, we were able to introduce our Indonesian culture to international students. We also encouraged our fellow Indonesian students to be more engaged with PSB Academy’s student life. We did some events to invite all international students to have fun together. The most memorable event would be Journey to the East (JTTE), where teams of five compete with each other. It enabled participants to get to know more about Singapore and overcome the challenges as a team. It was also a competitive game with rewards of up to S$1,000.

Those student life experiences have helped me to become a better person as I was able to gain leadership, friendship, socialisation and problem solving skills to overcome the adult life. It also taught me to adapt to different cultures.

In what ways did pursuing an education at PSB Academy added value to your business and personal development?

I had opportunities to improve my critical thinking and business decisions. The business strategies to grow my family business are also based on the knowledge I’ve attained during my undergraduate studies. I’ve improved my time management and social skills, and had the chance to make friends from all over the world, thanks to the opportunity of studying abroad.

Devlin receiving an award at the PSB Academy Awards & Appreciation Ceremony 2017.

Any quote that you live by or a quote that you would like to share with our current students?

“The first time is always the hardest.” – Sarwat Chadda