Ng Ren Jie Dale Everett 
Diploma in Media & Communication (DMC)
Awards:
Toh Chin Chye Gold Medal
A Natural Entrepreneur from the Start
A brilliant student with multiple distinctions for his GCE O-Level examination, Ng Ren Jie Dale Everett enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Development Programme (IBDP) at St Joseph’s Institution. However, Dale quickly realised that he preferred a project-based curriculum.
Since he was 16 years old, Dale worked to take care of his family. His father, the sole breadwinner, suffered a stroke and its complications made him unable to continue working. Dale worked part-time to supplement the family income. He also decided to start his business to care for the family while pursuing his love for marketing and entrepreneurship.
Dale realised a polytechnic diploma was the way to go and chose Singapore Polytechnic (SP)'s Diploma in Media & Communication (now known as Digital Media & Communications) as the platform to develop himself. He knew that SP’s curriculum provided a hands-on learning experience that offered room for design-thinking and innovation and this was what he needed to succeed as an entrepreneur.
Dale was already one of the founding members of an EduTech startup "Master" before he joined SP. While his peers were adjusting to life in polytechnic and planning which CCA to join, Dale and his team participated in “The Start,” a pre-accelerator programme powered by StartupX. He also manages clients in the blockchain/metaverse spaces and e-commerce SMEs via his marketing agency “Swaypinion”.
SP further broadened Dale's horizons and provided him with numerous opportunities to connect with industry leaders, pick up real-world skills and develop himself. Dale gratefully credits Mr Mark Lu, one of his SP lecturers, who gave him the courage to overcome his pain and push on. Mr Lu also helped Dale register for the SP Needy Fund, a special fund that stabilised his finances and got him back on his feet again.
A Singapore Polytechnic Outstanding Talent Programme (SPOT) student, Dale was also on the organising committee of SP's Youth Model ASEAN Conference where he was heavily involved in the planning of the opening and closing ceremonies.
He served his internship at the True Digital Park (TDPK) under the Global Entrepreneurship Internship Programme (GEIP), which combined a masterclass/incubator with an overseas internship position in Thailand. The internship was an eye-opener; it allowed Dale to rethink marketing from a global perspective and make strategic suggestions to TDPK's social media outreach plan to reach an international audience. Leading TDPK's Thailand GameChanger Podcast, Dale produced a series of 10 podcast episodes. In the process, he connected with many industry leaders from Thailand – entrepreneurs, executives and change-makers – who taught him many new lessons in entrepreneurship.
Besides participating in competitions and industry projects, Dale is also passionate about giving back to the community. His final-year project (FYP) was a campaign titled "Bring Your Colours to Light" for Youth Corps Singapore (YCS). The key communication message was to highlight how just like the myriad of colours that make up light, every volunteer is different and unique in their way.
Dale's FYP marked the beginning of his lifelong aspiration to make even more positive contributions to impact the community. He hopes to build up his marketing agency "Swaypinion" and future startups that he develops to add value to society. To Dale, entrepreneurship is a powerful tool. Beyond providing donations to the community, Dale is confident that his businesses could offer employment and mentorship opportunities to the less privileged and help them integrate back into society.
After serving his National Service, Dale hopes to read Business Administration or Business Analytics at a local university. As a current scholar under the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), with the polytechnic SG:D scholarship, Dale intends to reapply for a scholarship to university as well as devote time to building his business.