She overcame deaths in the family to do well

Vivian Tan fought through her grief of losing both her father and brother during her exam period to obtain good results.

A FEW days before her Secondary 3 prelim exams, her dad died from a lung infection.

Tragedy struck again when her older brother died just a few months before her N-Level exams in 2009 during a taekwondo competition.

But 17-year-old Vivian Tan fought through her grief. She was determined to do her best in her studies.

Yesterday, the bubbly Secondary 5 Normal (Academic) student from Serangoon Garden Secondary School was pleasantly surprised by her O-level results.

She obtained 23 points for her L1R4. Her grades qualify her for some polytechnic courses.

Business diploma

She said she hopes to pursue a diploma in business in Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP).

Vivian, an active member of the school band, said: "I expected to get more than 26 points as I did not really study in the first half of the year."

The past two years, in particular, have been a rough ride.

She recalled: "My dad, who had a stroke seven years ago , died from a lung infection.

Although he had been suffering all this while, he never once gave up on himself."

Her father, an engineer, was her biggest inspiration.

Then came the next blow, in July 2009.

Her brother, NYP student Vincent Tan, died after he was kicked in the neck during a taekwondo sparring match.

The kick ruptured amain blood vessel to his brain.

Said Vivian: "After the (deaths of my father and brother), my mother would often cry whenever she sees the family portrait sitting in my brother's room."

In the days to follow, Vivian became her mother's confidante while she juggled her studies.

She would help out with the housework as her mother, a hawker, would usually return home late.

Vivian's form teacher, Ms Sim Hui Hwang, told The New Paper that she was proud of her student.

Ms Sim, 52, said: "Vivian's a go-getter. She had set her mind to doing well and getting into a polytechnic and she has now achieved it."

But, she added: "She always had this impression that she would never match up to her mother's expectations of her brother,who was in the Express stream."

When asked how her mother reacted to her results, Vivian said with a slight smile: "She just told me it's okay."

Her mother, Mrs Julia Tan, 50 , said over the phone: "Of course, I am happy for her.

"It has been a very stressful time for our family and I'm glad that she has coped well."

"As parents, we are always proud of our own children and love them no matter how well or badly they do."

Geraldine Yeo | The New Paper | Wed Jan 12 2011