Venessa Lee

1 week ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

Ms Huang Yi Qing, 19, thinks tuition should not be intended for a complete overhaul of one's grades. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEESINGAPORE – What do young people really think about tuition? Stakeholders such as the authorities, providers and parents have weighed in, over the years, about the role of tuition as the industry continues to grow. Get the ST Smart Parenting newsletter for expert advice. Visit the microsite for more

2 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

SINGAPORE – Resilience hasbecome a buzzword in recent times, with trade wars, market volatility and artificial intelligence disruptions adding to global uncertainty. Since 2023, Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) has given out the SIM Chairman’s Award for Resilience to students who have overcome deep adversity while excelling in their studies and careers. There have been 10 recipients so far, including two announced this year.

4 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

SINGAPORE – It was more than 30 years ago that Madam Yap Joo Eng first fell in love with the traditional red rice wine that ended up kick-starting her second career. In the late 1980s, her then prospective mother-in-law, who hailed from Fuzhou, China, had prepared the heritage dish of red wine chicken mee sua for her when they met for the first time. Madam Yap, who is from the Hokkien dialect group, had never tasted it before. She recalls: “The colour was a scary red, but it was yummy.

4 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Stephanie Yeo |Venessa Lee

SINGAPORE – Mothers are thought of as selfless and sacrificing when they put their families ahead of their passions. After all, they are the nurturers everyone relies on to keep households running smoothly. But three mothers who have followed their dreams say their journeys have made them better parents. Ms Mayda Jutahkiti role-modelled resilience and self-belief when she entered a bodybuilding competition at age 50.

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Venessa Lee

Some terminally ill people in Singapore are embarking on artistic projects, painting, making films, and writing and planning books and memoirs. PHOTOS: VENESSA LEE, COURTESY OF NICOLE RACHEL RUI XIU FRIETSSINGAPORE – At just 28 years old, Mr Muhammad Afif Yusli is dying. Diagnosed with glioblastoma, a Grade 4 brain tumour, in April 2024, he has endured seizures, piercing pain, stabbing headaches, depression, memory difficulties and a period when he was unable to walk and talk.