Left by mum at aged 4, SP guy becomes model student who built solar car

This article was contributed by Singapore Polytechnic.

Graduate: Dominic Li Guoming

Awards: Lee Kuan Yew Award, SP Group Gold Medal, The Institution of Engineers Gold Medal Award, OCBC Prize

Shining example for lifelong learning

At the age of 33, Dominic Li Guoming is 10 years older than his peers.

He has seen many setbacks in his life, starting at the age of four, when his mother left the family.

As a student, Dominic was playful and did not fare well for his Primary School Leaving Examinations.

In Boon Lay Secondary School, he decided to turn over a new leaf and challenged himself to do the best he can. He scored 16 points for his GCE ‘O’ Levels and secured a spot in Pioneer JC.

Unfortunately, he lost focus and was asked to leave after failing Year 1. He subsequently signed on as an army regular during his national service.

Despite these setbacks, Dominic was determined to undo the wrong choices he made at a young age. During national service, he signed on with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

When he was subsequently offered the SAF Military Domain Experts Scheme Study Award, Dominic saw this as a chance to truly shine and was determined to excel academically.

He attended Singapore Polytechnic (SP)’s Open House and was convinced that it was the institution for him. He also had confidence in SP’s reputation for producing competent engineers and enrolled in the Diploma in Energy Systems & Management course.

For Dominic, learning went beyond the classroom. He participated actively in the SP Symphonic Band where he was the French Horn section leader. A natural leader, Dominic arranged lessons and extra practices to ensure everyone performed to the best of their abilities, especially during the band’s annual performance at the Esplanade.

For his internship, Dominic worked with more than 30 students from various Engineering courses to build a full-sized working solar car. This vehicle took part in the World Solar Challenge 2017, a 3,000km race from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia.

As the battery leader for the solar car, Dominic ensured that the solar cells and batteries were wired and configured correctly and safely. He also had the opportunity to travel to Australia for the race where he helped to troubleshoot and maintain the solar car batteries throughout the race.

This was an invaluable experience for Dominic as he had to work under pressure in harsh weather conditions. The experience also helped nurture his passion for alternate energy systems.

Moving forward, the Model Student Award winner hopes to research on renewable energy systems that can minimise mankind’s carbon footprint, a project he hopes to start in his leisure time.

Read more about Singapore Polytechnic's top graduates here.