Narmatha (21A05)

Diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease from the tender age of three which was aggravated during her junior college years, resulting in frequent absences, Narmatha faced multiple challenges in her academic journey to the A Level Examination in Jurong Pioneer Junior College. Her kidneys swelled to twice the size of the average adult’s and placed pressure on her spinal cord which made it difficult for her to sit for long hours, given her petite frame. Her condition also makes her susceptible to infections and prolongs recovery period even from the normal flu.

Whilst most of her peers were busy sitting for the JC2 Preliminary Examinations, another bout of infection led to yet another hospitalisation. Yet, she bounced back and returned before her medical leave ended to retake all her papers so that her preparation would not be in vain. Another curveball was thrown in the lead-up to her A Level examination. She contracted COVID-19 during her study break, which affected her revision due to the long recovery period. “It was very stressful, facing all these challenges just before a major examination, but I told myself I had to give it my all and prove to myself and others what I was capable of.”  

Narmatha is no stranger to the hard knocks of life. Every step of her adolescence has been fraught with one hard knock dealt after another. Aptly, when asked what her favourite quote was, she mentions the analogy by Henry Kissinger, ‘A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure.’ “Just like that, it became clear to me that the pressures I had faced in life were actually the very things that had moulded me to be a stronger and more valuable person”, she quips.

Since she was a little girl, Narmatha was acutely aware that her family situation was not the most ideal. She was cared for mainly by her grandparents as her father had left, leaving her mother to raise her singlehandedly. The steep medical expenses every month meant that her mother had to be working hard constantly. In her words, Narmatha “felt like a burden” and admitted turning to self-harm as a coping measure. Fortunately, timely intervention from her best friend helped her realise the impact of her actions. From that day on, she vowed to stay optimistic and make the best of every situation, no matter how difficult it may be. She turned to humour as a healthier coping mechanism and she is well remembered her for her wisecracks. Narmatha, who willingly discloses this information, emphasises, “I want to share about what I went through in the hopes that others can learn from my mistakes and more importantly, come to love themselves.”

What made her final year in college even more challenging was grieving the loss of her grandfather who passed away just before her JC2 Preliminary Examination. The pair had shared a close bond so she found his absence particularly difficult to deal with.  She credits him for her love for languages developed through the good reading habits he cultivated in her as a kindergartener. She has also inherited his good sense of humour. In addition to his passing, Narmatha had more on her plate as she also dealt with an emotionally abusive relationship. Once again, she was candid in her sharing and reemphasised the value of self-love. She had learnt more in-depth about it via a Civics Lesson. Her Civics Tutor had launched a discussion on the premises of healthy relationships. The insights she gleaned helped shape her perspectives. “I realised then, that I should love myself. Family background and self-worth are mutually exclusive. I recognised the need to break the association.” Narmatha gives thanks to her Civics Tutors who had stood by her and assured her of these revelations.  “They gave me comfort during my difficult times. Their gifts of home-made baked goods and a gift basket to the hospital greatly encourage me when I was hospitalised during my Prelim Exams. This made me motivated to come back as soon as I could to complete the A Level journey.” She soldiered on despite all the obstacles thrown her way.

Despite all these challenges, Narmatha never once complained or use her medical condition as an excuse.  She trudged on daily through the long commute to college for her learning. Even when she was hospitalised, she completed her revision from her hospital bed. She did not focus on her discomfort but was instead immensely thankful for the support given. The ecosystem of care from the college, teachers and friends was a great source of comfort. Classmates would also help to send her their notes, audio and video recordings to help her catch up on what she had missed. They also peppered these with encouraging messages and checked in on her.

“The college is well known for its caring teachers. I am thankful that I got to experience this first-hand.” She cited the passionate teachers as a key motivation to do well for her subjects. From her Economics tutor, Mr Toh Weiming who used his sense of humour to relate real world issues to concepts of debt crisis and trade; her Geography tutor, Mdm Gunaselvi who brought rock samples from her personal trips for the class to better understand a particularly difficult topic; to her Literature tutor Ms Zaleena who personified the Literature characters from the novels. Narmatha felt blessed to be guided by their passion and strong belief in her. In turn, she developed a greater sense of self-efficacy that she was indeed capable of getting into her desired course as long as she was willing to work hard.

Despite these challenging circumstances, Narmatha participated actively in college life. She was elected as the Chairman of JP Press, and constantly strove for improvements in the areas under her charge. “Though I had a medical condition and was away on medical leave frequently, I’m grateful that the school recognised my contributions and gave me the opportunity to lead my CCA. That mattered a lot as this meant that my efforts were appreciated and that my condition did not matter.” Narmatha possessed excellent organisational skills and the ability to think on her feet. This was evident in her meticulous co-ordination of administrative and logistics duties assigned to her in a wide variety of JP Press programmes and initiatives. This included her involvement in the Planning Committee for 2022 JP Press Recruitment and Orientation Programme for her juniors. Narmatha demonstrated her resourcefulness and creativity in handling the organisational aspects of these projects, and her ability to manage people with differing opinions and personalities well in a team.

Aside from her active involvement in JP Press, Narmatha also devoted time to serve the community through her participation in various Values-in-Action (VIA) projects. She was the chairperson of a student-initiated VIA project where she conducted a Basic Photography course for students in Singapore Polytechnic. In addition, she volunteered to film and edit a video for an inter-junior college competition, ‘Agni 2022’ organised by the Tamil Unit of Anderson Serangoon Junior College. As part of the short film competition, she dedicated hours of her time to film the drama which was about appreciating Tamil and Tamil culture.

Furthermore, starting from secondary school Narmatha has been an active volunteer of Red Cross and has conducted multiple workshops training to mentor youth cadets in first aid and facilitation skills; all while juggling college commitments and personal health matters. When asked why this was important to her when she already had much on her plate, Narmatha said, “Being a member of Red Cross shaped my personality and taught me more about humanity, and to respect everyone as an individual. Even though it wasn’t easy to make time, I wanted to because I wanted to contribute and make a difference to the youths I was interacting with.” She is especially interested in youth leadership and wants to motivate as many youths as she can reach out to.

Narmatha truly exemplifies resilience and a positive mindset, choosing to take challenges in her stride and pay it forward to the community. Armed with ambitions to study Psychology and pursue family therapy, she took the initiative to research and attend career talks to further her convictions. “Childhood is such an important part of life, it shapes you into what you are. Mine wasn’t the most ideal and so I hope to do more for others in my situation by pursuing this field.” Her drive and passion to give back to the community despite the challenges she faces certainly shows her compassion and heart for the less fortunate. “If I face pressure, I can overcome it as even coal can become a diamond under pressure,” she quips cheerfully.