Who says playing video games is a waste of time? IT whizz is one of SP's shining stars

Azeem is one of Singapore Polytechnic's (SP) top graduates. Read how SP shaped him to become who he is today:

As a toddler, young Azeem found joy in punching keys on the keyboard.  His childhood years were spent playing video and interactive games such as Dr Seuss: Green Eggs and Ham, a pastime which developed his confidence in the use of computers and his interest in Information Technology (IT).

Azeem’s interest in IT grew stronger over the years as he picked up programming skills on his own and developed various computer applications.  The School of Science and Technology alumnus had planned to take up Computer Science as a subject under the International Baccalaureate programme.  When his GCE “O” level scores did not meet the programme requirements, he decided to enroll in Singapore Polytechnic (SP)’s Diploma in Information Technology course. Azeem chose SP as it was Singapore’s first polytechnic and the comprehensive course curriculum and conducive learning environment had attracted him.

In SP, Azeem participated in various hackathons and competitions where he displayed good leadership skills. In the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition, he led his final-year project team to win the Innovation category by developing Nyx, an artificial intelligence service which could be deployed at events to help answer queries.  Azeem’s leadership qualities also shone through during a study trip to Malang, Indonesia where he guided his peers to combine their knowledge and skills to help a local farmer improve crop yield.

Complementing his leadership qualities, Azeem strived to be an inspiration to his juniors, by mentoring and assisting them with their school work as part of an SP Special Interest Group. He also organised workshops on basic cloud services for his peers as part of the Microsoft Student Partners in SP.

During his 17-week internship with Accenture, Azeem was exposed to new and exciting technologies and he developed prototypes that could be employed in future Smart Businesses. His experience provided a glimpse of his future career and reaffirmed his belief in creating IT solutions to help people and improve lives.

The recipient of the Integrated Infocomm Scholarship has received offers from the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Management University. Azeem intends to also apply for the National Infocomm Scholarship and to prominent overseas universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

This article was contributed by Singapore Polytechnic.