Community Service Champions
Creating Ripples for Greater Impact - Meet Our Champions
An advocate, a student leader, a neighborhood hero, and a youth volunteer – meet our community service champions who demonstrate that community service is not just about donating time – it is about creating sustainable change through passion, perseverance, and partnership.
Each began with a simple desire to help and developed into a movement that continues to grow.
In The Spotlight
"Impact doesn’t come from big heroic actions; it comes from small, consistent actions made with care."
Gabriel Tan I-Ren
(BBM 2019)
Impact Story
Gabriel's transformative journey began with Project Everest Fiji in 2016, where he led SMU students in developing a sustainable dried fruits business with local farmers in Fiji while providing employment for graduates of a Special School there. This experience taught him that true service is partnership, not charity - sparking his understanding of human-centered impact and social business. Today, Gabriel's vision has scaled across ASEAN through Bamboo Builders, which he founded and has led as CEO since 2017, designing programmes that nurture changemakers and tackle critical issues like digital literacy and financial inclusion.
From a university volunteer to being a regional social entrepreneur, Gabriel demonstrates how empathy and sustained commitment can create lasting community transformation.
Our Community Champions
Rachel Han
(BBM & BSocSci (Psychology) 2025)
“Community service is about using the skills and capabilities you have to uplift the wider community in a sustainable and meaningful manner. I strongly believe that community service and skilled volunteering should be synonymous – this means using one’s personal strengths, expertise and/or knowledge to serve and maximise the impact that can be made."
A recipient of SMU’s inaugural Sustainability Impact Award in 2023, Rachel co-founded Package Pals, a second-hand packaging initiative addressing waste materials from e-commerce and consumer delivery. She leads efforts in partnership-building and public education, having collaborated with schools, corporations, and nonprofits to mainstream sustainable packaging habits.
Chen Tongshan
(BBM 2025)
"Working with different communities taught me that every place we serve has its own strengths that we might miss at first glance. True service is not just about giving what we think we know—it is about staying open to learning from the people we are trying to help."
Tong Shan's passion for uplifting others shines through her diverse service journey. Advancing from volunteer to vice president for Project Inspirar (2021-2022), she created intergenerational connections between youth and elderly. Beyond SMU, she also volunteered at a non-profit organisation, to improve the reading conditions in rural primary schools in China.
Anne Saphrin Alex Sathyan
(Year 4, SCIS)
"Passion is what will carry you forward. You do not need to launch a big initiative from day one. Start small, look for existing projects and join as a volunteer. Take time to understand the people and causes you are working with. Constantly ask questions and study the needs of the community around you. When you combine that curiosity with genuine passion, you can't go wrong."
Anne Saphrin has demonstrated exceptional community service leadership, from a volunteer to overall project leader of Project Thoon IV, coordinating arts enrichment programmes for children from lower-income families. She expanded her social impact knowledge through a Changemakers programme in Thailand and actively contributes to PAYM Kampong Chai Chee Youth Network, organising community events outside of SMU.
Sean Cheng
(Year 3, YPHSL)
"Service to others does not necessarily have to be loud, big or difficult. It simply comes from a desire to make the world a slightly better place. In a world that can often feel overwhelming or uncertain, the idea of making a difference may seem intimidating. But I believe each of us holds the power to take small, meaningful steps that can create real impact in the lives around us."
Service drives everything Sean does. From directing Project Empower 4.0's mental wellness programmes for at-risk children, to co-founding Project Ripples for migrant workers' legal education, to leading SMU Rotaract's community initiatives, Sean's impact extends beyond campus. He volunteers with Youth Corps Singapore, Access Singapore, and SHINE Children and Youth Services, focusing on youth empowerment and mental health support across Singapore's diverse communities.
Lim Wensi
(Centre Manager, ROSA, SMU, BSc, Economics 2009)
"Community service means gifting my time and expertise to others. While regular interactions with the same beneficiaries would be ideal, work commitments limit this. I try participating in ad-hoc sessions with the same organisation for continuity. I also value how community service builds social bonds with fellow volunteers, creating meaningful connections beyond just helping others."
From volunteering as a freshman to helping communities after work today, Wensi's service journey spans decades. Whether it's local or overseas community service projects during her SMU student days, or now volunteering with Kwong Wai Siu Hospital and food preparation at Willing Hearts, she has discovered that volunteering's greatest joy comes from doing with friends and family—transforming individual acts of kindness into shared experiences that multiply impact.
