The Holywell Foundation funds scholarship and bursary awards, touching the lives of RP students since 2016.

Education has the potential to bridge social gaps, but only if it is allowed to thrive. 

In Singapore’s highly competitive and results-orientated education scene, students from lower-income groups tend to face more obstacles to success than their affluent peers. 

These students might have the drive to succeed but lack access to the same resources, putting them at a disadvantage.

In Support of Students in Need

For Ms Chan Chia Lin, founder of the Holywell Foundation, financial aid is one way to narrow the social gap, uplifting students from less privileged backgrounds and enabling them to pursue their dreams.

Her foundation has made annual donations to RP since 2016, benefitting 230 students to-date through scholarship and bursary awards.

RP students Seow Woon Suan Shevon and Surapalli Venkatamahalaxmi were the recipients of one such award, the Holywell Foundation Scholarship, in 2023. Since then, their academic lives have been significantly enhanced. 

  Shevon — Passionate About Improving Lives 

Seow Woon Suan Shevon is a student in RP School of Sports, Health and Leisure studying sports and exercise science. Driven by a strong passion in healthcare, she entered her course aiming to be a physiotherapist, with the intent to help people regain their independence.

“The Holywell Foundation Scholarship allowed me to focus better on my studies by giving me financial support. I am able to do well as I have fewer financial worries. Obtaining this scholarship also built my confidence as my hard work is recognised and rewarded. Having this scholarship will definitely help to boost my portfolio and motivate me to continue maintaining good academic results,” she shared.

Shevon is eager to learn as much as she can in her chosen field and works hard to make that dream a reality. So far, she has amassed valuable industry experience by working at physiotherapy organisations and aims to obtain her honours after completing university.

  Maha — Dreaming Big in the Tech Industry

Diploma in Information Technology student, Surapalli Venkatamahalaxmi (Maha), discovered her passion and aptitude for IT in the course of her studies and has decided to pursue it as a career.

“The Holywell Foundation has helped me lessen my parents' load of paying a huge sum of money for school fees every semester. It also helped me gain my parent's trust as I am trying my best, and I hope to make them proud. I am really grateful for this scholarship for aiding my educational journey and allowing me to succeed,” she said.

Maha hopes to secure a place at a local university and eventually move on to explore other sectors, expanding her skillset and knowledge. She believes that by investing in her education, she is laying a strong foundation for her future career.

Contributions That Make a Difference

Ms Chan hopes that Holywell Foundation's support will offer a pathway for disadvantaged youths to thrive through both academic instruction and practical industry skills training.

In her view, RP is an excellent candidate for such assistance because of its unique and well-rounded pedagogy, alongside its status as a relatively recently-established polytechnic.

Ms Chan explained, “As a younger polytechnic, which has not had time to build up its reserves, RP is deserving of greater support.  Many of its students come from lower income groups.” 

She also encourages other organisations to discover their own journey of giving when considering how to contribute.

“Get to know the institution, and, over time, you may find other areas of supporting RP beyond giving money.  For example, providing internship opportunities or lending professional expertise and mentorship. It can be deeply rewarding.”