Flying the Skies, Diving into Finances, Cooking Up Success, and Other Adventures

14 November 2023 – Jasmine Xie is the embodiment of ‘living your best life’. At 35 years young, this energetic lady has embarked on more exciting careers than most of us have even thought about.

After graduating from Temasek Polytechnic with a Diploma in Law and Management in 2008, Jasmine served six years as an Air Navigation Officer in the Republic of Singapore Air Force. She then made a successful transition to financial consulting, and even found time to start up a profitable food and beverage (F&B) business that operated on weekends.

A Taste of Entrepreneurship, a Thirst for Knowledge

An entrepreneur at heart, Jasmine has fond memories of the F&B business she co-founded with two friends, ‘EasyEggs’. She shares, “I had always wanted to try my hand at entrepreneurship, and a pop-up F&B business seemed like a great place to start. There was low capital expenditure, and we only operated on weekends during events. This allowed us to dedicate time to our careers, while also building this business on the side.”

Through the pop-up stall, the friends sold scrambled quail eggs, giant chicken sticks, and other novel dishes. After making a splash at popular events like Artbox and Beerfest, the young entrepreneurs were approached in 2019 to sell the business, which they did for an attractive sum.

Having savoured her first taste of entrepreneurship, Jasmine was hungry for more. Before diving into her next venture though, she wanted to learn more about business. She wanted the skills, knowledge and networks to be gained from a world-class university education, and she already had a university in mind—where else but the National University of Singapore (NUS)? The big question was whether she would be able to compete for a place in a prestigious university against students who had recently graduated from a Junior College or Polytechnic. “After all,” she thought, “in terms of academic knowledge, they all recently learnt the most up-to-date information available.”

Grab Academy x NUS MOU - Grab's driver, delivery and merchant partners

Choosing the Advance@NUS pathway

Jasmine’s concern was addressed when she found Advance@NUS, an admissions pathway offered by NUS for adult learners to earn their first bachelor’s degree as full-time undergraduates. Because its selection process emphasises professional experience, adults with rich work experiences and a drive to improve their careers stand a good chance of being selected.

Much to her delight, Jasmine’s resume—detailing her experience as an Air Navigation Officer involved in numerous search and rescue as well as humanitarian aid operations for the RSAF, a successful financial consultant with Prudential, and a proven entrepreneur—was impressive enough to qualify her for admission into the university through the pathway.

“I appreciate how Advance@NUS is a pathway that is made for adults,” Jasmine says. “We are not competing for a place with all the other students who have just recently studied the latest methodologies and textbooks. Instead, we are competing for entry into NUS with other adult learners, with our work experience being considered, which makes more sense and is more relevant for us.”

Building Knowledge, Expanding Possibilities

Jasmine joined the University’s Bachelor of Business Administration programme in 2021. With her sights set on possibly building a sustainability-based business in future, she also enrolled in a second major in Innovation and Design, offered by the NUS College of Design and Engineering.

Speaking specifically about her entrepreneurial experience and what she hopes to gain from a university education, Jasmine explains, “I believe that knowledge gives us courage. With knowledge, you will know what to expect, and be unafraid to venture forth. There will be more innovation and less trial-and-error. I will also be better equipped to run—and sell—my next business.”

Jasmine may have already made some headway into her next venture, with her agricultural technology (agritech) project at NUS. She explains, “The Innovation and Design programme teaches students to identify a problem, conceptualise a solution, and make sure it is customer-centric.

“In Singapore, our government has set up a ’30 by 30’ goal to build up our nation’s capability to sustainably produce 30% of our nutritional needs by 2030. However, as a land scarce nation. So, we need to find smart solutions for agriculture in a limited space.

“This is why my project mates and I decided to look into container-farming systems. Specifically, our team is innovating on existing container-farming technologies to improve sustainability and output—using less energy to grow more food, faster than before.”

A Unique Admissions Pathway Leading to Shared Experiences

Although Jasmine’s admission into NUS was through a specialised adult-learner pathway, she attends lectures and studies alongside younger classmates. Initially apprehensive about being seen as ‘the aunty’ of the group, Jasmine has been pleasantly surprised by how they have accepted her as a peer.

In fact, Jasmine believes there are advantages to having a diversity of ages share the same lecture theatres. She explains, “When I was younger, I would not dare to approach teachers with questions. However, at this age, it feels natural going over to lecturers and asking them questions. I also ask classmates questions as their academic knowledge is ‘fresher’ than mine, and when none of us have the answers, we will approach the lecturers together!

“There is a genuine thirst for knowledge and learning here, and I really feel like I have ‘found my people’ at NUS.”

On the Horizon

What is next for this adventurous learner and entrepreneur? Now in the third year of her degree programme, Jasmine is excited about the opportunities directly ahead of her.

“I would like to see where our agritech project goes. If we do manage to build a working prototype that attracts investors, then I would like to take this to another level.

“Apart from this, I am also looking forward to a six-month internship opportunity that I secured through NUS Overseas College (NOC), where I will get to travel to Norway and work as a Research Analyst. It will be a fantastic opportunity to learn about Norway’s sustainability culture, to bolster my portfolio with overseas work experience, and to connect with people in the sustainability space!”

This statement captures Jasmine’s mindset well—always thinking of what comes next, working hard, and making the most of opportunities. It is often said that the sky is the limit; Jasmine is reaching beyond that, as she strives to become the best version of herself.