Initially labelled as lazy in school because of her poor grades, Emily Yap felt indignant and hurt by her teachers’ insensitive comments. Her teachers did not know how hard she was working at home, or of the frustration she faced when she could not attain the grades she felt she deserved. Finally, with her parents’ encouragement, she got tested for dyslexia, which confirmed why she had struggled to read and took more time than her peers to do her work.

Today, Emily Yap, 24, is a palliative care nurse at Alexandra Hospital, after completing a nursing degree on scholarship. Not only that, she served the underprivileged and migrant worker community during the pandemic, rallying a group of friends and neighbours to join her. This was highlighted by PM-designate DPM Lawrence Wong in his parliamentary Budget 2023 speech as someone who embodied the Singapore spirit. “Emily has been hard at work at the Covid frontlines. Despite this heavy workload, she still volunteers on her off-days to care for the wider community … She also used her CDC vouchers—not for herself, but to buy kueh bangkit from her neighbourhood bakery and shared them with vulnerable families over the Lunar New Year,” DPM Wong said.¹

Emily has worshipped at Barker Road Methodist Church with her family for the last 17 years.

Emily shares her journey with the Methodist Message.