From academic struggles to top youth award: Singaporean volunteer finds purpose

Solana Maria Mendoza, a recipient of Singapore's prestigious National Youth Achievement Award Gold, was once a student who struggled academically and felt like an outsider.

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I was quiet, and sometimes, it felt like there was something wrong with that. I wouldn’t speak up, I wouldn’t volunteer to do things. I was just kind of there, floating around.

Mendoza, now 23, described her primary and secondary school years as difficult. She was quiet and felt she didn't quite fit in, often feeling like she was just "floating around." Academics were not her strong suit, and her soft-spoken nature made it hard for her to ask for help.

Initially aspiring to study journalism like her parents, Mendoza's path took an unexpected turn when her O-Level results meant she couldn't enter junior college or polytechnic. She applied for the Community Care and Social Services course at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), pinning her hopes on acceptance. Facing significant stress as the admissions deadline neared without a response, she described it as one of her "darkest moments."

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I studied as much as I could, but academics isn’t really my strong suit. And because I was soft-spoken, I wouldn’t really ask for help.

A last-minute interview secured her a place at ITE, a turn of events she credits with changing her life. "Everyone has a different pace and different steps they need to take to get to where they want to be," Mendoza reflected. "If I could have gone back in time to comfort my younger self when I was feeling so down, I would tell her to just trust the process."

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It was heartbreaking because I really felt like I had nowhere else to go.

At ITE, Mendoza discovered a passion for community and social work through her course and practical assignments. Unlike previous mandatory volunteering, this time something truly clicked. She also found a supportive group of friends and, inspired, began volunteering outside of school in 2021. "I don’t care so much about the money or being super successful. I want a role that gives me purpose," she stated.

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Everyone has a different pace and different steps they need to take to get to where they want to be. If I could have gone back in time to comfort my younger self when I was feeling so down, I would tell her to just trust the process.