Cheong Li Min Snr Manager / Biodiversity (Terrestrial) Bachelor of Ecology and Environmental Biology, Imperial College London, 2013

I studied ecology and environmental biology at Imperial College London for three years. I decided to take up the NParks scholarship as I felt that it suited what I wish to pursue in university as well as my career of choice in the future. I wanted to work with nature and NParks provides me with the opportunity to work in the nature reserves and recreational parks in Singapore for our citizens to get in touch with nature. I also enjoyed the working environment in NParks during my experience as a temporary administration assistant as I discovered everyone is friendly and dedicated to their jobs. It was good to see everyone working towards the common goal of managing our parks and caring for our natural environment.  

On hindsight, taking up the scholarship was indeed a good choice as I am enjoying my time now in Imperial College studying the subject that i am passionate about. It gives me great pleasure to pursue further studies in a subject that i am passionate in. This is especially so since ecology and environmental biology is not often a subject that is commonly supported by scholarship organisations. In addition, there are also many interesting summer programs to join which can bring me to places such as the Amazon and South Africa to study the ecology and biodiversity there. To add icing to the cake, I also get to study in one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities and get to meet all sorts of people from all walks of life here which really adds on to my learning experience here. I not only learn about my field of interest but also about the world in general. Being in London also offers me the opportunity to travel around the UK and Europe discovering new places as well as many of nature's wonders, allowing me to appreciate what the earth has to offer and further strengthen my passion in this field. 

My experience at the Singapore Garden Festival was also an interesting one in which I got to meet many people interested in plants and landscape architecture who shared with me their experiences. Meeting these people gave me many new perspectives about landscape architecture and the future of our gardens, making me even more excited to be part of NParks in the future. 

I would definitely recommend this scholarship to anyone looking for a career related to landscape and the environment and who is passionate about this field. It's a scholarship that offers many opportunities and great experiences!