Evan Sim, Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Bursary Recipient

It is overwhelming to be caught in a cycle of debt. Evan Sim knows – his unexpected change in circumstances through family health issues and bankruptcy left him adrift and uncertain about his place at SMU.

“I couldn’t imagine my future. At first, I couldn’t focus on anything except the stress - having a place to stay after we lost our home, the medical bills, and finding enough for our daily expenses. I couldn’t think about studying or SMU, even though I had really looked forward to starting my course.”

But a bursary helped bring back Evan’s focus and will to succeed, and he will graduate Magna Cum Laude in Social Sciences (Marketing and Psychology) this July.

“I was stuck in a mental ‘loop’. But with financial aid, I was given the peace of mind to make plans,” he continues. “The cost of University – after everything my family had been through – seemed less impossible. I worked while studying to build my career; I could accumulate less debt, start saving, and help my family out.”

“I could focus on academics, and really partake of the enterprising spirit that is SMU’s unique selling point – which is about not being afraid to try new things!”

“I have been blessed, and one day I hope to be financially free enough to pay it forward. Because being able to pull someone out of that loop, and give them the capacity to improve their life – is a blessing.”

Evan Sim (BSocSci, 2023), Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Bursary recipient