Gen Y Speaks: My work as a Covid-19 swabber to support myself through school has completely changed me

Extract from Author

As an only child, I started doing part-time jobs at age 16 as a waiter and a receptionist to partly support myself through school.

Since young, I have had a passion for sports and dreamt of carving out a career in fitness training.

So after completing my National Service (NS) in 2017, I joined a gymnasium as a full-time customer care representative before becoming a personal trainer there and also enrolled into a part-time sports and physical education degree course at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).

Author’s Reflection

What is your personal takeaway from your SOAP story?
My personal takeaway from my SOAP story is resilience.

Now that your story has been published for some time, do you have any reflections to share post-publishing?
Looking back at my 6 months stint as a Covid-19 Swabber was truly an eye-opening experience in regards to our foreign workers in Singapore and the stereotypes they have been labelled with. We've seen the negative comments on social media when it came to foreign workers however being on the ground has shown me the struggles they have to go through during this pandemic in terms of routine swab test, living conditions and the travel restrictions for those who wanted to travel back to their hometown to be with their family. In addition, it has allowed me to interact with the foreign workers and know their personalities and character traits; hardworking, extremely friendly, resilient, adaptable. Aside to the foreign workers, it has also made me realise than being a front-liner is not an easy task and the work that our medical personnel ie: Doctors and Nurses go through it truly commendable

What did you hope to convey to readers through this story?
I hope to convey the message that despite the situation that we are placed because of the pandemic, we should remain vigilant and persevere through. Be adaptable and go out of your comfort zone if it is needed to help keep afloat during this crisis. I would also like to convey the message of being more empathetic towards our front-liners and foreign workers and work towards a more cohesive society

How do you feel for being recognised for your work?
I feel truly honoured to be recognised for my work and I hope that my story would be able to positively impact and inspire the lives of others

Written by
Mirosh Singh,
TODAY

Sunday,
29 November 2020

Merit Award, Commentary