ITE student achieves perfect 4.0 GPA, proves doubters wrong

This article was contributed by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Tan Shi Wei Cody
Higher Nitec in Electronics Engineering  @ ITE College East
Recipient of Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal

Raising the Bar

When Cody was younger, he often did not do well in school. As a result, many around him cast doubts on his future. This, however, ignited his desire to prove himself and build his own success. 

Enrolling in ITE, Cody was determined to start afresh and excel. He participated in numerous competitions to challenge himself and hone his skills. These included the WorldSkills Singapore 2020 competition, where he represented ITE in the field of Electronics. Besides improving himself, Cody is also passionate about making a difference to society. As President of the Student Ambassadors Club, he actively led his peers in various community service projects. He is also working on creating an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, which provides emotional support for youths with mental health issues.

Cody’s motivation for self-improvement extends beyond school subjects. Driven by the desire to learn a new skill, he has been working part-time as a barista at Starbucks for three years. Establishing himself in this field, he has even attained the certification of a “Coffee Master”!

Pillars of Support

Cody shared: "I am very thankful to my lecturers at ITE, especially Mr Muhammad Basheer and Mr Teo Hock Wee.

"They believed in me, cared for me, and supported me in any way they could.

"There were several times when I felt down or stressed out while preparing for competitions.

"Mr Basheer and Mr Teo would constantly check on my well-being and give me words of encouragement.

"Their gestures of care touched me, and gave me the extra push to persevere in the face of challenges.

"I would not have been able to succeed without them."

After ITE

• Cody is pursuing a Diploma in Applied AI and Analytics at Singapore Polytechnic.

Top Achievements 

• Recognised for his all-round excellence, Cody won the 2021 Lee Kuan Yew Model Student Award. He was in the Director’s List for all terms from 2019 to 2020, and graduated with a perfect Grade Point Average score of 4.0. 

• Cody and a classmate developed a smart device for improving washroom cleanliness, which clinched the 2021 Lee Kuan Yew Technology Award. The project also won the Silver Medal at the International Exhibition for Young Inventors 2020 competition. 

• He was the first runner-up of the ITE College East Public Speaking Competition in 2019.