US Ambassador: I’m proud to see Singapore looking to America as it invests in its young people

In a recent Facebook post, US Ambassador to Singapore Anjani Sinha expressed his pride in Singapore's decision to seek partnerships with the United States, particularly through the investment in its young people. The ambassador met Charlene Tan Rui Xian, a recipient of the Singapore Presidential Scholarship, at an event organized by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Tan is a trailblazer as the first female member of the Singapore police force and the first in her family to join the force. As a Presidential scholar, Tan is currently a first-year student studying Forensic Science (Chemistry) at Penn State University, where she plans to return to work after graduation. Sinha wrote that Singapore sends its best and brightest students to study in the US to cultivate the next generation of leaders. The President's Scholarship Award Ceremony took place at the Istana on August 14.

Tan, who graduated from Hwa Chong Institution, shared her motivation for joining the force, stating that she felt most motivated when faced with injustice and felt a renewed sense of purpose to act against it, fighting for what's right and making empathetic choices. Her family has been supportive of her decision, and her journey includes training with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) at the Jungle Confidence Course in Brunei and the Officer Cadet School.

Tan believes that her Penn State degree will broaden her understanding of different criminal justice systems worldwide, their significance, and their blind spots, as well as develop her critical analysis skills of crime while retaining empathy for its affected individuals.