Student Stories

I realised my interest in tourism and hospitality didn't begin with travelling. It began with people.

Growing up, hospitality was something I experienced every day at home. My parents taught me to treat guests with kindness, generosity and respect. These values stayed with me as I grew older, eventually leading me to pursue a Certificate in Hotel Operations at the University of Wollongong in Malaysia.

My interest in tourism grew further when I volunteered in the Japan Da’wah Centre’s winter programme, where I organised cultural exchange activities, interacted with Japanese visitors and shared my research through live talks. I already knew I enjoyed meeting people and learning about different cultures, but my time in the programme confirmed that I wanted to pursue a career where I could interact with people and create positive experiences for them.

When I returned to Singapore, I started looking into my options for further studies and found PSB Academy. The one-year Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Management stood out to me because it builds on what I had learnt from my previous hotel operations studies, while giving me the option to progress to tourism and hospitality degrees with PSB Academy’s university partners.

Receiving the PSB Academy × NPHVA Sponsorship is especially meaningful to me because of my father. I’ve seen him put in long hours as a private hire driver for many years to provide for our family and give me educational opportunities. The sponsorship has helped ease some of the financial burden on my family as living costs continue to rise. I’m grateful for the support because it gives my family a little more breathing room, especially with my younger brother to support as well.

Through this diploma, I’m looking forward to learning more about areas such as front office operations, guest services, reservations and property management systems, and gaining a better understanding of the industry.

Most importantly, I hope to make my parents proud. I want my achievements to be a reflection of their hard work.