Tibro Karmaker's (19A06)

SAVED FROM THE EDGE</strong>

Tibro Karmaker, described his younger self as ‘reckless’, ‘unmotivated’, ‘indifferent’ and ‘playful’. Those were the days when Tibro would simply walk out in the middle of lessons, indifferent to the consequences. Witnessing first-hand how his close friend spiralled down the dark path was his wakeup call. Tibro resolved to turn his life around and to seize every opportunity to improve himself during the two years that he was in Jurong Pioneer Junior College (JPJC).

To stay focused and on the right path, Tibro relied on his teachers at JPJC. Ms Zaleena’s dedication and care gradually developed his self-confidence. Recalling memories of Ms Zaleena who was his English Literature teacher, Tibro revealed that “Her frank and direct comments helped me to reflect and come to the realisation that in order to achieve positive outcomes, I must continuously seize opportunities to better myself”. Seizing opportunities to chart a different path for himself, Tibro also joined the college’s Community Engagement Council (CEC), and oversaw projects such as the ‘Chua Chu Kang and Bukit Panjang Heritage Trails’ and the ‘Taman Jurong Recycling Project’. The projects were an “incredibly memorable experience” for him and “it taught me to be a better team player, leader and thinker.”

He also participated in the college’s signature programmes such as the World Scholars’ Cup (WSC) and Humanities Day to further stretch himself. The tasks were daunting and doubts crept in and remnants of his ‘old’ self urged him to take the easy way out. He credits his perseverance to stay the journey to his teacher, Ms Megan, who took time to impress upon him the importance of setting high standards and resilience. Armed with the experiences of a rebellious teenager turned mature young man, Tibro has much to offer to his juniors. He likens the A level examinations to a marathon, citing the need to be consistent and realistic, and to stick to a plan. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail…Think about the future you want for yourself. Use it to motivate yourself. Work hard in the short term for a better future.” Tibro hopes to read Business at the Singapore Management University.