Instituted in 2008 to offer the best academic and career prospects to meritorious students from India, the GIIS Scholarship programme has become a bench0mark of the finest awards among its kind. The chance of getting global exposure in one of Singapore’s leading junior colleges attracts applications from brilliant whiz kids in India for the CBSE and IB programmes at GIIS Queenstown.

This has raised the bar for GIIS students while encouraging them to stay at par with top achievers from India. The ‘no bond attached’ programme has a stringent selection process.

Eight scholars were selected in 2010 for the GIIS Scholarship programme at the GIIS Queenstown campus. GIIS World spoke to some of the scholars. One of them, Rocky Singh Wahengbam, CBSE Class 11, comes from the north-east frontier of India where the bliss of blue mountains and emerald valleys keeps people close to nature. Being selected for the GIIS Scholarship programme was a dream come true for his parents, says Rocky, explaining, “They have always yearned for education outside ethnocentric walls. Learning in Singapore is totally a new experience and has opened my mind to the vast ocean of knowledge through the constant loving support of my Gurus and the hostel warden.” 

While many school boys shy away from army training, this young scholar has already undergone training as a cadet in Sainik School, Imphal for five years. He holds the honour of being the Ministry of Defence, Government of India and NTSE scholar at Sainik School. As a cadet he has participated in numerous Republic Day parades in New Delhi, India. His true interest lies in the world of genetics especially in the mysteries underlying DNA . For him the hostel life is not a new experience, but he feels that living in the GIIS hostel has given him a fabulous opportunity to pursue his interests unrestrictedly. 

Another scholar, Manisha, IB Year 1, hails from Kharagpur, India. Manisha studied at the Kendriya Vidyalaya where both her parents are teachers. As a schoolgirl, Manisha was one of the few students selected to visit Japan under the Japan East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youth (JENESYS) programme conducted by the Japanese consulate in India every year to enhance mutual understanding between the two nations. She says that it was not easy to get selected as a GIIS Scholar as the competition was tough and she felt that each student taking the exam was confident of performing well adding, “But this is what encouraged me to take it up as a challenge”. In the very short period since her arrival at GIIS, Manisha has endeared herself to the teachers and staff at GIIS Queenstown volunteering to help and participating in school programmes. She says, “GIIS has helped me develop a global outlook and has also made me a part of the global arena. I would never have been able to achieve this at Kharagpur. The exposure provided to me at GIIS has broadened the dimensions of my mind and I think, feel and work much better now. I consider Dr A PJ Abdul Kalam as my role model in life and I want to pursue aerospace engineering as a career.”

A national level badminton player and state level swimming champion from India became a part of the GIIS family in April 2010. Akash Gupta, CBSE Class 11, belonged to the city of Hyderabad where his parents work for the Ministry of Defence. Not only in sports, the young scholar excelled in national level Olympiads, competitive exams and participated in several state level social science and science exhibitions as a student in Hyderabad. About his selection as a GIIS scholar, Akash says, “When I first came to know that I have been awarded the GIIS scholarship for junior college, I was overwhelmed with emotion. In the first few months that I had spent at GIIS, I have realized that Singapore is really a wonderful place for studies. I feel that GIIS not only provides quality education to the students but also gives them the much needed global exposure in today’s competitive world. One of its biggest strengths lies in the fact that it brings together a team of highly proficient and dedicated teachers who are always ready to guide us. Although this is the first time I am away from home and my parents, I feel it has made me a more independent person and I have learnt how to solve problems on my own.” With an eye on robotics, Akash wants to become a mechanical engineer following the footsteps of his elder brother who is studying Electronics and Communication Engineering at Hyderabad.

Fuelled by a determination to excel and confident of achieving their goals, these GIIS Scholars have embarked on a journey to make GIIS this alma mater, proud of them. Faith in their teachers and their own abilities has made their ambitions seem achievable. What is remarkable is that the dynamics of their triumphs are inspiring other students around them