The many faces of excellence

NUS Science students are making their mark beyond academics, from pushing creative boundaries to supporting communities near and far. Their achievements in leadership, filmmaking, performing arts and community service earned them recognition at the NUS Achievement Awards (2026), which celebrate outstanding accomplishments beyond academics. Their stories reflect the breadth of opportunities in university for our students to explore new interests and turn personal passions into achievements that resonate beyond campus.

Sattanathan Seetha Harinakshi, Major in Life Sciences, Minor in Psychology: Arts Group of the Year Distinction Award and Arts Production of the Year Merit Award IG @harinaurrr

“The award allows me to look back on how much I’ve grown, both as a dancer and as a leader.”

What began as a simple dance performed as a child grew into a lifelong passion. At NUS, Harinakshi found a community that shared her love for Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form, and discovered how dance could bridge cultures and connect people. As President of NUS Indian Dance, she helped bring Antara Dua: Between Two Choices, A Destiny Prevails to life, an ambitious production featuring the shared experiences of characters from Indian and Malay mythology through dance and Dikir Barat music. A proud highlight was introducing Kai Silambam, a Tamil folk art form new to the group. Seeing these diverse cultural traditions come together on stage was “incredibly meaningful”, she says.   

Mahek Arora, Major in Physics: Original Artistic Work of the Year Merit Award 

“I’ve learnt that pursuing different interests doesn’t mean having to choose between them. Sometimes, they make each other more meaningful.”

For Mahek, filmmaking offers a creative way to explore scientific ideas through storytelling. Her filmmaking journey began in Year 1, when curiosity led her to join NUS Studios Film Productions. Fascinated by the intersection of space science and society, she was eventually drawn to the NASA CineSpace Short Film Competition to explore how space research could illuminate stories about life on Earth. Her film, In Between the Blues, explores climate change through the eyes of a young child inheriting an uncertain environmental future. Blending NASA imagery with personal family archives of a father-daughter relationship, the film contrasts the vastness of space with intimate human experiences. By bringing together the vastness of space and the intimacy of family archives, the film explores what it means to inherit a changing planet, and our responsibility to shape the future that follows. 

Lee Yi Heng, Double Degree Programme in Mathematics and Computer Science: Community Service Merit Award  

“I hope this award motivates more students to find a way to give back and discover how much they can learn from the experience.”

A 17-day expedition to Laos under Project Sabaidee, an annual service-learning initiative, opened Yi Heng’s eyes to how the lack of basic necessities often taken for granted can adversely affect children’s learning experiences. At Sakai Primary School, he witnessed firsthand how unreliable water access affected daily life, inspiring one of Project Sabaidee’s most meaningful initiatives: building a water tank for the school. As Project Head, Yi Heng led a team of student volunteers to address the community’s needs, from delivering interactive mathematics, science and English lessons to improving school facilities. Working alongside the community, they built a sheltered dining area, repaired damaged ceilings and painted a library mural, creating a safer and healthier environment for learning.

Stephen Chen Zhi Peng, Major in Life Sciences, Minor in Business Management: Leadership Award   

“The most valuable takeaways from leadership are people management skills and emotional intelligence.”

Stephen’s leadership journey began with a simple purpose: to give back after a memorable freshman orientation experience. Taking a leap of faith, he became President of the NUS Students’ Science Club in Year 1 and eventually, President of the NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU).  His people-first approach to leadership saw him advocating for the interests of more than 30,000 undergraduates and contributing to lasting change in campus life. The initiatives he led include a permanent price-control clause for essential goods in future minimart vendor contracts, securing better resources for student organisations and increasing freshmen participation in NUSSU Rag & Flag.

Read his story at https://www.science.nus.edu.sg/blog/2026/07/a-journey-of-service/ 

Isaac Chin Wei En, Major in Data Science and Analytics:  Leadership Award

“I learned loads about managing people vertically and working with important stakeholders.”

How can data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) make hall policies more transparent and accountable? As President of Sheares Hall’s 43^rd Junior Common Room Committee, Isaac set out to do just that. He developed AI-powered tools to calculate co-curricular activity (CCA) points for more than 500 residents across over 70 CCAs, and developed a simulator to test proposed policy changes against residents’ data, allowing student leaders to assess their impact before implementation. He also established 10 endowment-funded Sheares Merit and Excellence Awards, restored electoral accountability through constitutional amendments and made the room-allocation points system auditable.