Leading with Energy, Gratitude, and Ownership: Highlights from Convocation 2025
At this year’s Convocation, the SSS@NTU had the privilege of welcoming Ms Anthea Ong - a distinguished social entrepreneur, former Nominated Member of Parliament (2018–2020), and passionate advocate for mental health, social inclusion, and climate action.
Ms Ong is the founder of Hush TeaBar, Singapore’s first silent tea bar and social movement that promotes self-care, emotional literacy, and empathy through silence and sign language, led by the Deaf community and persons recovering from mental health challenges. Beyond this, she has launched impactful initiatives including WorkWell Leaders, which encourages senior leaders to prioritise workplace mental health; the Palestinian Scholarship Initiative, supporting young Palestinians in local universities; and the CritiCare Fund for Migrant Workers, addressing urgent healthcare needs for low-wage workers.
In her inspiring convocation address, Ms Ong shared a powerful message of embracing a new kind of E.G.O. — Energy, Gratitude, and Ownership - urging our graduands to care for their wellbeing, stay grounded in gratitude even in adversity, and take ownership of their voice and impact. She reminded them that the world does not need perfection, but wholehearted, compassionate, and authentic human beings.
Her words resonate deeply with the values of social sciences …one that recognises that behind every statistic lies a human story.
As our graduands step forward, Ms Ong’s call to lead with empathy and courage will serve as a guiding light in their journey to create positive change.
Click here to view the photo album featuring highlights from our convocation.
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