PUBLISHED ONSeptember 03, 2026 7:53 AMBYKhoo Yi-HangMuch like the vehicle he admires, this bus enthusiast has reached his destination despite many setbacks along the way.
Matthew Tay has graduated from RMIT University after having given up on university to pursue his passion for buses, he shared in a LinkedIn post on Saturday (Aug 29).
Tay, 27, made headlines in 2024 after he reportedly achieved a near-perfect grade-point average in polytechnic before turning down offers from three local universities.
Instead of furthering his studies, he decided to pursue a career with his topic of interest: buses.
He took up his first job at 22 as a bus driver for a private company, before becoming a bus interchange operator with Tower Transit, a choice he made for himself that sparked discussion online.
A bus interchange operator manages buses and captains.
"Some did support my decision, while others questioned if I had made the right choice," Tay wrote in his graduation post on Saturday.
While working with Tower Transit, Tay would wonder when the opportune moment to return to school would come.
He also revealed that a bus captain had approached him when he first joined, offering advice.
"Boy, what are you doing here? Go back to school! Stop wasting your time here," the bus captain had said, according to Tay.
The opportunity came when he was given a scholarship with Tower Transit, prompting him to go back to school after nearly five years away.
"I remember struggling with the workload at the start, but slowly found my footing," he recalled.
"Today, I'm graduating with a Bachelor of Business with Distinction, and I'm grateful to also receive a prize for being among the top three students in my cohort!"
Tay also addressed the bus captain that had spoken with him: "Thank you for your advice. I went back to school."
He added: "I took a different route, but I still made it to the destination."
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