She’s game for IT A performing arts lover, National Infocomm Scholarship holder Esther Goh is equally at home with information technology By Kent Chan AT FIRST glance, you wouldn’t associate Ms Esther Goh with the technology industry. She admits to “knowing nuts about computers” prior to taking up the National Infocomm Scholarship. When she was at Hwa Chong Institution, she was president of the Hwa Chong Harmonica Band. She also acted in a drama performance put up by the school’s Chinese Society. She was also part of the wushu troupe and had performed regularly during school events. Given her inclination towards the performing arts, she never imagined that she would take up the scholarship given by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA). But she did. The 20-year-old says: “IDA is a well-established and vibrant organisation that constantly seeks to build and improve on the infocomm infrastructure in Singapore. I am pleased to be able to join this group of people.” While she has been spending time on non-technology related activities like her drama and harmonica, she is quick to point out that information technology (IT) — especially in the form of games — is something that has always appealed to her. “It may seem odd that games would lead me to have an interest in a particular course in university, but it then occurred to me that technology is moving really, really fast. “And it excites me. It deviates from the subjects I used to take in the normal academic stream,” she says. Clearly, she is excited about this field. “IT is a field, I think, where the only thing that remains the same is the way it changes. There is so much room for innovation, creativity and freedom,” she says. She adds that she has been influenced by people around her, particularly her relatives who have taken or are taking computer-related courses, or who are already working in the IT industry. They have helped her to overcome her doubts and worries about the industry. “They told me that it isn’t as difficult as many others think, if there is an interest in this subject. The weariness that comes along with it is due to the need to constantly update and learn. “But I think this is what I’m looking for. The thought of a mundane working life in future makes me shudder,” says Ms Goh, who is now a first-year student at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Under the terms of the scholarship, she will first study for a Bachelor of Engineering (computer science) degree for three years, then go to Georgia Institute of Technology for another year to pursue her Master of Science degree. The Atlanta-based Georgia Tech, as this university is commonly known, is one of the top research universities in the United States. This reputable institution can trace its history back to 1885. Ms Goh feels that the NTU-Georgia Tech integrated programme is a “great opportunity” as this programme will expose her to local and overseas university cultures. She says: “Both universities are well known and well-established. During the promotion of this new programme, it was specified that IDA would be offering scholarships for it. “This scholarship would definitely aid me financially because to be able to study overseas isn’t exactly affordable,” she says. Upon graduation, she will be posted to National Computer Systems, one of the largest system integrators in Singapore. She might have just started her studies, but she already has a good idea of what she wants to achieve beyond her next paper or school assignment. “I hope to be able to join in projects where I can actively participate in building on the infocomm infrastructure in Singapore, where technology can improve the lives of people in all aspects,” she says.