Meet Chan Leong!
By now we’ve all learned more about Carmen and Charis (if you haven’t, take a look at their write ups in our previous blog posts!). You could be wondering – if there’s a core committee who’s overseeing the workshop preparations, who’s overseeing the core committee? Well, today’s your lucky day: the spotlight is now shining on the point person; the glue that sticks the core committee together.
Want to know more? Just continue below as we talk to to….Chan Leong!

Introduce yourself!
“Keep the Georgian’s flag flying high,” said my teacher on the last day of standard 6. That has been one of my greatest motivation in everything I do. As you can already tell by now, I identify strongly with my school; a typical small La Sallian school. For all those who were thinking ahead, yes, I did spend 11 years in an all-boys school. My name is Teng Chan Leong, my friends in the States usually call me by CL, not to be mistaken with the popular Korean singer also known as CL. I am a Chemical Engineering student in Carnegie Mellon University with vast interest ranging from computer science, to economics so you can pretty much talk to me about anything. I am also the President of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity and was so lucky to have been able to participate in various volunteering and service opportunities that aim to tackle issues like cancer awareness, women and children, food, hunger and poverty, youths, and many more.
What did you do in high school?
My high school story is filled with cliche and it would be appropriate to say that I go by “MoE’s guideline” of what a student should be. I was in a uniform unit, climbed through the ranks and ended up on the stage with the royalty for the King Scout Award. Lucky to have been gifted with an above average height, I played volleyball competitively and competed in national open debates. So, I do very typical activities and got lucky along the way. But typical ends here. The experiences, friends and knowledge I gained eventually decides what I enjoyed doing in the States.
Best thing about your college?
It is hard to decide what is best out of all the cool and exciting stuffs that happen in my school. I think I can sum them up to a common college quality in US and give specific examples from my school.

1 reason – YOU. Had it not been a senior who spoke to me about the US education, I wouldn’t have gone to look for scholarships to the US. And if it’s not for the same senior, I wouldn’t have had the scholarship that I have. In many ways, I’m lucky to have someone told me what my options are after SPM. But YOU are the reason WHY I am here. I want you to have the same opportunities that I have, hear the same advice that I had and hopefully end up somewhere you actually belong. Somewhere that appreciates you as a person and not just a student, who sees you for more than just your academic grades, who cherish you for the passion you have, who strive to ensure that you have a safe and conducive environment to grow and most importantly equip you with the flexibility that you need to adapt in the fast-changing world that we live in today. I guess if I can add another line, I’d say that USAPPS taught me an important lesson – that I should be aware my options and make an informed decision when it comes to my education.
