AGL Irudayaraj Scholarship [MIM] - Shunmuga Sundaram Kanthasamy
The air was thick with hushed whispers as my peers fumbled with their presentations. The
Inter-College Symposium, the event of the year and a gathering of the brightest minds from
colleges across the state, was quickly devolving into a nightmare. I couldn't stand idly by as
the audience lose interest, so I stepped up and rose to the challenge. As I approached the stage,
I felt the eyes of the audience upon me and the weight of their expectations. I launched into my
presentation with confidence and used interactive examples and a hands-on demo to captivate
them. The response was immediate. The energy in the room shifted like the ebb and flow of a
tide. Stepping off the stage, my HOD met my eyes with a look of admiration and said, "You
did well. It’s not always about being in charge, sometimes true leadership is taking charge."
That day was a seminal moment in my journey as a leader.
I was soon elected to serve as the secretary of the EEE Association and the student coordinator
for the IEEE club. I further honed my leadership skills by organising and conducting successful
events and workshops, bringing together students from all corners of the college to collaborate
and learn from one another. One such event was a workshop on Internet of Things, where I led
the planning and execution, which attracted over 200 participants and received widespread
acclaim.
As a fervent believer in the power of community service, I knew that service to man is service
to god. My commitment to serving my community was put to the test during the COVID-19
pandemic, as I rallied my friends to start a food assistance programme in our local church.
Through our efforts, over 1000 families received much-needed food aid, and I came to
understand that leadership is not just about a title or designation, but about making a positive
impact in the lives of those around us.
Growing up in the shadow of financial hardship, I understood the immense value of education.
Pursuing a Master's degree at SMU is a crucial step towards realising my potential, but the
burden of student loans threatens to derail my aspirations. Receiving the AGL Irudayaraj
Scholarship would not only relieve some of my family's financial burden but also allow me to
focus on my academic goals and continue Mr. AGL Irudayaraj's legacy by using my education
to serve and positively impact my community.
This scholarship is not just an offering of silver and gold; it is a seed of hope, a bud of faith,
and hope for a kid from the streets of Tamil Nadu who believes he too deserves a place in
Singapore and at SMU.
Leadership Potential Scholarship [MIM] - Shunmuga Sundaram Kanthasamy
The power of leadership lies not in our circumstances but in our response to them. In the face
of adversity, some may crumble, but for myself, it’s the catalyst that ignites a fire within. The
seeds of leadership were sown early in me, with my father's stories of wartime bravery and
leadership. Years passed, and I was standing among a group of hopefuls at the Naval Selection
Board, just a few steps away from realising my lifelong dream of becoming a lieutenant. I
endured a gruelling seven-day ordeal only to deal with a devastating blow by fate, disqualifying
me from military service due to a thickened eardrum. The dream I had nurtured for years was
burnt to ashes. Though the crushing blow left me reeling, I soon rose from my relics like a
phoenix. I forged ahead, determined to leave no stone unturned in my quest for greatness.
Returning to college, I undertook the arduous role of secretary of the EEE Association. I was
tasked with organising and conducting events that would catapult our club to the forefront. But
my team was struggling to find sponsors. When faced with adversity I didn’t falter. Instead, I
dug my heels in deeper and worked shoulder to shoulder with my team to relate with them,
also far enough ahead to motivate and push them harder. Finally, we secured several sponsors
and volunteers and received widespread acclaim for conducting events successfully.
As I continued to grow as a leader, I took on even more challenging responsibilities and
spearheaded initiatives like peer learning at the IEEE Club by navigating complex bureaucratic
procedures and personalities. Through my persistence, we were able to build a strong
community of like-minded individuals who shared their knowledge and expertise with each
other. I learned that true leadership is not just orchestrating from the front while turning your
back on the crowd but also leading from behind like a shepherd without letting your team
realize they have been directed from behind all along. I was honoured to have been that
shepherd for my team, and I successfully led my team to secure first prize in the project expo.
My endeavours were not only within the confines of the classroom but also in the professional
sphere. Though a software developer, I forayed into unexplored territory and proposed
innovative marketing strategies for our product via LinkedIn, which motivated our product
head to kickstart routine social media campaigns. I received resounding accolades from my
product head for my initiatives and proved I wasn’t there just to take part as a mere worker but
to take over as a leader too.
As I move forward in my journey, I am not content with just putting myself on the charts of
SMU; I aspire to put SMU on the global charts and be an ambassador of pride for this
prestigious institution. With this scholarship, I am confident that the fire within me will
continue to burn bright, igniting the spirits and kindling the hearts for change.
Community Impact Scholarship [MIM] - Shunmuga Sundaram Kanthasamy
I cried exactly twice as a man.
My first cry as a man was during COVID-19. I saw jobs stripped and families left grappling
with hunger. In a world where the call for support reverberated with deafening urgency, I rallied
a group of steadfast companions and volunteers. Together, we started a food assistance
programme to provide sustenance to the frail and feeble. As the weeks wore on, our efforts
bore fruit - nourishing over a thousand lives. However, for every flower of gratitude, there were
also a barrage of stones thrown our way. Even my own kin chastised me for risking my life and
questioned "What difference will a day's meal make?". I responded, in no uncertain terms, that
the difference could be one of life and death. The sting of such a reality had been made evident
to me only days before, a kind old man who blessed me was no more - snatched away by Covid
as he had been forced to choose between the cost of sustenance and the price of medicine. He
was no kin of mine, but his loss left me in tears, stained with the salt of my sorrow.
The lingering words of my family echoed in my mind, like a haunting melody. Their cutting
inquiry, "What difference will a day's meal make?" pierced through my heart and had me
pondering for days. My heart knew that only educating those hearts could make a lasting impact
and break them free from the cycles of poverty. "Teach a man to fish, for it will sustain him for
a lifetime". This sentiment is one that filled me with purpose.
My dedication to education has led me to volunteer at The Agaram Foundation, where I was
involved in the after-school program, teaching math and coding to students while also
counselling them on their careers, leveraging my experience. I was blessed to have received
the most coveted prize for my efforts. It came as a phone call from my former student. His
voice was shaky, and tears streamed down his face as he expressed his gratitude for
transforming his life and that of his family. He shared that he had landed his dream job, and it
wouldn't have been possible without my guidance. At that moment, I shed tears for the second
time, but they were tears of pride.
I continued giving the gift of education even at my workplace as a volunteer instructor at
"Marupadi" helping women make a comeback in their careers after their maternity break by
upskilling them.
"Third time's a charm", they say. I know the prospect of receiving this scholarship would
undoubtedly move me to tears once again. But the tears of jubilation streaming down my
cheeks would water the seed of hope within me that the good I did wasn't buried, but rather
planted. I firmly believe that the seeds of education I sow now would create a forest of change
then and will bear fruits forever for the generations to come.