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Gen Z Speaks

Gen Z Speaks

When the author was let go in December 2023, she mourned the loss of milestones she thought she'd been journeying towards. But the experience ended up giving her space and time to rethink her career path for the better.

Nurjannah Suhaimi/TODAY

Gen Z Speaks: Getting let go at 23 was devastating — but it helped me break free from the 'grindset' and rediscover myself

I’d heard about it. I’d seen the videos on TikTok. But I never thought it would happen to me.

By Larissa Santhana Nair

The author during her internship at Pathlight School in 2022, where she developed the drive to help kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Gen Z Speaks: I never considered a career in the special needs sector until a life-changing internship opened my eyes

By Jerelynn Ng

Since the age of 15, Gen Z Speaks writer Jaslynn Wong Jing Ting has tried her hand at a wide variety of part-time work, from retail sales to tutoring, banquet running and even warehouse packing.

Gen Z Speaks: At 22, I've already had 12 part-time jobs. It's been hard, but it's prepared me for 'real' working life

By Jaslynn Wong Jing Ting

Gen Z Speaks: I spent my childhood crossing the Causeway twice a day. The grind was gruelling, but it’s shaped who I am

Gen Z Speaks: I spent my childhood crossing the Causeway twice a day. The grind was gruelling, but it’s shaped who I am

By Isabel Chang

The author, Zhuo Jiayi, and her husband Chan Kai Yang, both 23, run custom cake business CakeInspiration together.

Gen Z Speaks: At 23, I'm running my family's cake business with my husband. We're learning to find the sweet spot between love and work

By Zhuo Jiayi

Tricia Rianne Teixeira and Victor Teixeira met in April 2023 on a dating app, and got married in April 2024 (above).

Gen Z Speaks: Last year, I swiped right on a dating app but he was 10,000km away. Now we’re married

By Tricia Rianne Teixeira

Gen Z Speaks: My first solo trip abroad showed me that travel is more than just tourist hot spots and Instagram pictures

By Eunice Sng

Gen Z Speaks: I was a socially awkward loner in secondary school. Being in online fandoms taught me to be braver and bolder

By Yasmin Razak

Gen Z Speaks: As a graduate of the ‘Class of Covid’, trying to start my career mid-pandemic was rough. But I never lost hope

By Nur Qasrina Iskandar Lim

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When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, long-time homeschooler Arista Loh (above) had to enrol in a polytechnic in order to continue her studies. Here's why she doesn't regret her decision.

Gen Z Speaks: Going to polytechnic after a life of homeschooling was terrifying. But the journey transformed me

By Arista Loh

Ms Angelitha Jayaraj (left) and her mother, Mdm Sujatha Philominraj, at their home on April 28, 2024.

Gen Z Speaks: A letter from me, aged 25, to my mum when she was 25

By Angelitha Jayaraj

When she started on her green activism journey, 20-year-old Christina Gan Tze Xin struggled with cynicism and scepticism from her family and friends.

Gen Z Speaks: How volunteering taught me that the key to saving the world is the power of community

By Christina Gan Tze Xin

You wouldn’t need to be one of the lucky ones that made it into the National Stadium to know the joy that Swift’s six shows here have brought — but not all was sunshine and rainbows.

Gen Z Speaks: How Taylor Swift week in Singapore brought out the best — and worst — in all of us

By Loraine Lee

The author's issues with her appearance first started during puberty.

Gen Z Speaks: Since puberty, I struggled with unrealistic beauty standards. Now, I’m learning to love my body

By Larissa Santhana Nair

Gen Z Speaks: 2 months into a new relationship, we had to date long-distance. This is what it taught me about intimacy and connection

Gen Z Speaks: 2 months into a new relationship, we had to date long-distance. This is what it taught me about intimacy and connection

By Nicole Chan

For 26-year-old Delonix Tan Wei Jie, his childhood years were defined by constant rebellion and academic struggles.

Gen Z Speaks: Confessions of a former delinquent and gangster who found a better path in family’s fishball business

By Delonix Tan Wei Jie

Gen Z Speaks writer Jeremy Tan Zheng Yi, 26, poses for a photo at Orchard Road, on Jan 22, 2024.

Gen Z Speaks: From fencing to teaching kids Singlish, here’s what a year in Japan taught me about embracing the unknown

By Jeremy Tan

As a kid, Jonathan Tiong was reluctant to speak much — until an inclusive educator went out of her way to encourage and inspire him.

Gen Z Speaks: My ode to a primary school vice-principal who used Abba and balloons to draw me out of my shell

By Jonathan Tiong

After unscrupulous spending brought Larissa Santhana Nair (above) to financial rock bottom, she embarked on a month-long no-buy ban.

Gen Z Speaks: Bad spending habits nearly ruined me in 2023. This year, I’m committing to a healthy relationship with my wallet

By Larissa Santhana Nair

For 23-year-old Amelia Yamato Leow, solo travel is not about getting away, but about understanding herself better.

Gen Z Speaks: Once confusing, my multicultural identity now teaches me to embrace different cultures when I travel

By Amelia Yamato Leow

Ms Darcel Al Anthony, 23, is a Year 4 student at the National University of Singapore studying English Literature.

Gen Z Speaks: As a Malay-speaking Indian girl of mixed heritage, here’s how I celebrate racial harmony every day

By Darcel Anastasia Al Anthony

Gen Z speaks writer Chang Yi Tian Jolyn, 26, poses for a photo with her boyfriend, Samuel Ang Wei Jie, 30, at Gardens by the Bay, on July 16, 2023.

Gen Z Speaks: I was a newbie at dating when I started seeking love online. But it’s never too late to start

By Jolyn Chang Yi Tian

Gen Z Speaks writer Qistina Hatta holds a wedding photograph of her father and late mother.

Gen Z Speaks: Being a daughter to a sick parent is hard, but I’d do it all over again

By Qistina Hatta

Gen Z Speaks: I believe a bleed-free future can be a reality for people like me who live with haemophilia

Gen Z Speaks: I believe a bleed-free future can be a reality for people like me who live with haemophilia

By Benjamin Tang

A longtime enthusiast in artificial intelligence, the author founded the first AI interest group in his polytechnic.

Gen Z Speaks: I started an AI interest group in school. Working with humans — not computers — was the bigger challenge

By Alex Chien

Gen Z speaks writer Veronica Lee Wan Ling, 23, poses for a photo at Republic Polytechnic, on May 3, 2023.

Gen Z Speaks: I was fixated on studying the sciences, even though I wasn't good at them. It wasn't too late to switch tracks

By Veronica Lee

Larry Lee, who started a travel business catering to Gen Zs and millennials.

Gen Z Speaks: How social isolation and loneliness led me to start a travel company that brings people together

By Larry Lee