The Roads We Take: Mariel Tan’s Valedictorian Address, MA SEN/ALN 2026

Good morning, esteemed professors, beloved DAS colleagues, respected guests, and fellow graduates. I am Mariel and I am incredibly grateful to deliver this speech. After years of balancing work, writing our papers, and probably questioning why we signed up for a Master’s in the first place, we are finally here. And for me, my journey began long before I started my Master’s.

The start of the journey

My journey as an educator began in polytechnic, where I pursued a diploma in early childhood education. Later, while majoring in Linguistics at university, I was introduced to dyslexia. One thing led to another, and I began my journey with DAS as an Educational Therapist. 

Like all the Educational Therapists here, I went through the Dyslexia and Essential Literacy Approach (DELA) module and Applied Educational Therapy (AET). Through these courses, we learnt various strategies and approaches to help our students overcome their difficulties, be it in reading, spelling or beyond. I learnt a lot from the mentors and colleagues along the way. But as soon as I was given my very own classes, and began teaching, something sparked.

But this approach came with its own obstacles. As class sizes grew from four to six, and my student numbers grew from 42 to 46, and soon 50, I found it increasingly difficult to balance discovery with the demands of the classroom. Larger classes meant splitting my attention between six students, managing the classroom, and racing against time to complete every component of a lesson.

I could prepare more, but I could never fully predict the questions my students would ask. Sometimes, their exploration led us down a path I had not anticipated, and there were days when the lesson simply did not go as planned. I failed. I reflected. And in those moments, I had to practise what I preach: to have the courage to explore a new way, the resilience to persevere, and the confidence to face the challenge. 

So, when the Post-Grad Certificate came, it ignited my desire to deepen my knowledge and become a better educator. And that eventually led me to this Master’s programme and the scope of my research.

What We Carry Forward

Looking back, this journey has taught me that no one really travels alone. And perhaps that is something we can carry with us as we return to our own roles as educators. 

Our students are also on their own learning journeys. Some may travel at a slower pace. Some may take a few wrong turns. Some may encounter roadblocks that they never expected. And some may need someone to walk beside them for a little while. 

As educators, perhaps our role is not to tell them exactly which path to take, but to give them the courage to explore, the resilience to persevere, and the confidence to face challenges and keep moving forward, knowing that they do not have to face them alone.

May we help them reach their fullest potential, wherever their roads take them.

The People Along the Way

The journey to a Master’s was not easy. There were certainly moments when I stared blankly at my paper at 5 a.m., not knowing what I was typing, and found myself lost in a sea of research tabs.

To Mr Gareth Dart, Dr June Siew and Dr Priscillia Shen, thank you for allowing me to reverse roles, to step out of my usual role as an educator and become a student again. Thank you for giving me the space to explore, to ask questions, and for having the patience to guide me.

I am also deeply grateful for the coursemates I met along the way. I’m glad our paths converged and that we shared one goal — to complete our Master’s. Thank you for the knowledge, encouragement, and the way we cheered each other on. And, of course, the lunch hours — those precious hours when we talked about anything and everything except work and our papers.

I also want to thank my family and friends. You may not have been able to help me with my research or analyse my data, but you gave me something just as important — emotional support. When work and studies became overwhelming, you gave me space to rant and the courage to pick myself up and continue moving forward. And most importantly, to my mom, thank you for continuing to inspire me.

Finally, to my colleagues at TPN, thank you for regularly checking in on me. Thank you for those casual corridor conversations and the inevitable question: “How’s your Master’s going?” It motivated me more than you probably realised.

Because every time you asked, a small part of me wanted to say, “I’m done.”

Well… I finally got to say it.

I’m done!

But I realised, my journey as an educator continues…

The Next Adventure 

So yes, surviving this Master’s seemed manageable because of all the kind people around me. Which brings me to my biggest struggle thus far. Writing and delivering this speech. There was no coursemate sitting beside me. No professors to guide me. Just me, a blank document at 2.21 a.m., and the terrifying thought of speaking in front of everyone. 

But perhaps that is fitting.

Because every journey eventually reaches a point where we have to take the next step on our own.

We have spent years being guided by others, and now, as educators, we have the opportunity to guide our students. But leading the way does not mean knowing all the answers or walking ahead of them. It means walking alongside them, learning with them, and continuing to learn from the people around us. 

So, congratulations, fellow graduates!

Here’s to the roads we have travelled, the people who walked beside us, and the paths that are yet to be discovered.

Thank you!