Life as described by Brandon Cheng, a graduate of City Harvest Educational Centre (CHEC), is “a process of learning how to persevere.” These are indeed wise words from a 17-year-old who was born without a fully formed right hand.
As a student in his childhood and teenage years, he suffered from self-doubt as a result of his outward deformity. However, his feat of scoring two A2s, two B3s and two B4s in the recent O-level examinations, is truly commendable!
Born with only a functional left hand, his childhood was filled with frustrations whenever he saw other children tying their shoelaces. Even a simple task like that seemed insurmountable. It was then that he thought of ways to triumph his physical disability with a little creativity and innovation.
Described by Miss Joli, his mentor in CHEC, as an intelligent and independent learner, the mature youth battled low self-esteem and a lack of interest in academics while completing his Secondary 5 education prior to enrolling into CHEC.
Thankfully, constant encouragements from his family, friends and teachers at CHEC paid off. With an O-level certificate, he is now ready to apply for a Diploma in Game and Entertainment Technology in Temasek Polytechnic, realizing a dream that he is geared to fulfill.
As the old adage goes, when you can articulate your greatest struggle, you can go beyond any challenge and obstacle. Undeniably, Brandon has shown us what unprecedented courage from within can lead us to achieve in this life that God has given.
