DIPLOMA IN ENGINEERING WITH BUSINESS (S42, DEB)

Tey Wei Jun Dillon, alumnus of St Patrick’s School, was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Award, Cisco Systems Gold Medal, Alfred Robert Edis Prize and OCBC Prize in May 2024.

• Lee Kuan Yew Award
• Cisco Systems Gold Medal
• Alfred Robert Edis Prize
• OCBC Prize

Since young, Dillon Tey has had an interest in engineering. In Secondary Two, he created a system to retrieve player data automatically from a game website. This was masked by his rebellious nature where he faced disciplinary issues and poor results in secondary school. Fortunately, he decided to improve his behaviour after a heartfelt conversation with his teacher. He joined SP’s DEB (Diploma in Engineering with Business) as it allowed him to develop multidisciplinary skillsets. It was a wise choice for he excelled academically in SP. Not only was he awarded the Sembcorp Marine Prize in Year 2, he was also on the Director’s Honour Roll for two consecutive years as well as a Defence Science Organisation (DSO) Diploma Scholar.

High accountability when honouring commitments is Dillon’s hallmark. Possessing a strong work ethic and dedication to the tasks at hand, Dillon comes across as someone steady, dependable and loyal, with a strong sense of duty. Hence, it came as no surprise that his peers at Singapore Polytechnic (SP) have elected him as their Class Representative for seven semesters.

An all-rounder, Dillon also excelled beyond the classroom, who could remain objective, logical and handle tough situations effectively. When he was a Scout Leader in St Patrick's, he worked with fellow leaders to organise the annual 4-day Scout Camp. Unfortunately, some leaders fell ill a few days before the camp and the team had to do with less than half of its members. Undaunted by the manpower shortage, Dillon methodically outlined the revised roles and responsibilities of the remaining team members, enabling them to continue their operations despite limited resources and time. The team overcame the challenges and provided their juniors with a memorable camp experience.

This same agility, dedication, and willingness to go beyond what was required of him followed through to SP. Elected as the President of the EEE Ambassadors, he spearheaded several key school events, including leading a team of 90 students in organising the Freshmen Orientation Programme for more than 500 Year 1 students. He not only followed through on project milestones reliably and dutifully, he also delegated effectively, clearly communicating desired outcomes, deadlines and scheduling regular check-ins during the event preparation. By setting high standards for himself and leading by example, Dillon inspired his team to do their best in pulling off an engaging experience for the freshmen.

As Vice-President of the SP Infocomm Club, Dillon displayed effective time management to participate in competitions and broaden his technical skillsets. His knack for practical thinking and applying theoretical knowledge to real-world applications underscored his adaptability and technical competencies. In the 4th RoboCup Asia-Pacific Tianjin Invitational Tournament (RCAP-TJI2023), Dillon’s team clinched the Champions title in the CoSpace Autonomous Delivery, University (SuperTeam) category - a remarkable feat considering the team only had a 2-week preparation period for the competition, whilst revising for SP examinations. Dillon and his team were commended by the organisers for their exemplary skills, passion, and determination, and for setting a high bar in the global robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) community.

Dillon also participated in the MRANTI World Engineering Day Challenge, held in Kuala Lumpur in March 2023, leading his team amidst concurrent mid-semester tests. They confidently presented their prototype for a smart, recycling machine using AI and 3D printing to reduce plastic waste, being the only team from a polytechnic. Although the team reached only the finalist stage, it was a valuable experience showcasing his strengths as a conscientious and tenacious leader to lead the team.

A compassionate individual, Dillon believes in creating a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable society, and this belief drove him to seek out volunteering opportunities both locally and overseas. In SP, as a peer tutor, he patiently guided academically at-risk students, helping them improve their grades and progress to the next semester. Beyond SP, he also organised kayaking orientations for seniors and children with intellectual impairment as a volunteer with Project Purple Ripple (a collaborative project with PassionWave @ Jurong Lake Gardens); and mentored children on sports at Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre.

On the overseas front, Dillon was the logistics lead for the Youth Expedition Project (YEP) to Chiang Mai and ensured that programmes such as teaching English to students from Bankadwittayakom High School and a Christmas treasure hunt for orphans at Daughters of Ruth Orphanage proceeded smoothly. Friendly and approachable, he connected easily with the locals, forging new friendships and gaining insights into the culture, socio-economic issues, and background of the local community. His leadership capabilities propelled him to be the leader for subsequent YEP trips to the Philippines and Laos.

In recognition of all his contributions, Dillon was awarded the SP Excellence Award, SP Service Learning Award, and appointed as Graduate Speaker in 2024.

The humble leader plans to pursue a degree in Engineering Science at Nanyang Technological University. Dillon was recently awarded the NTU Renaissance Engineering Programme Scholarship. Apart from providing tuition fee and allowances for accommodation, living expenses and computer, this scholarship also provides for an overseas study or attachment programme covering tuition fees, airfare, accommodation and meal allowances.

For the future, he envisions working in the R&D fields of defence and security and collaborating with like-minded individuals to design novel solutions to problems.