How Singapore's first female SPF and President's Scholar went from feeling powerless to finding her calling

When Charlene Tan was in secondary school during the Covid-19 pandemic, she felt isolated from her peers and uncertain about what she wanted to do with her life.

As she spent hours scrolling through social media at home, the constant stream of devastating global news left her feeling helpless in the face of injustices she could do little about.

The newly-minted President's Scholar told AsiaOne that while studying at Nanyang Girls' High School, it was easy to feel like "just a student stuck in Singapore" who could not make much of a difference to the sociopolitical and geopolitical tragedies unfolding around the world.

That changed when she began speaking to Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers at recruitment events as a junior college student. Through those conversations, Tan realised that a career in policing could offer the opportunity to make a tangible difference.

The first officer she met, named Stefan, spoke about how the SPF balances fighting crime with empathy and compassion. His perspective reinforced the SPF scholar's desire to be part of an organisation whose values aligned with her own. 

Today, the 20-year-old is studying forensic science at Pennsylvania State University, as she prepares for a future career in the force.

@asiaone Charlene Tan, the first female Singapore Police Force (SPF) scholar to be awarded the President’s Scholarship, shares with AsiaOne how her drive to fight injustice and her experiences volunteering since the age of 10 inspire her vision of service and duty. #sgnews #Singapore #Police #Becoming #Adulting #GrowingUp ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

'Deeply unsettled by injustice'

"I never really thought that I would join the police force because I'm not the fittest or the most commanding," she said. 

"But after some deeper reflection, I realised that I was deeply unsettled by injustice that I couldn't take action against."

The desire to take action had been instilled in Tan from a young age. 

At 10, while studying at Nanyang Primary School, she began volunteering with the Breast Cancer Foundation.

Her mother, an accountant who was actively involved in charity work, had encouraged her to gain volunteering experience. Tan's father works in real estate as a property manager. Tan also has an older brother. 

"I've always been very outspoken about wanting to help others and do something meaningful with my time," said Tan. 

"Since I had a plenty of weekends where I was basically lying around at home doing nothing, I decided to spend it more meaningfully."

She continued volunteering, mostly on an ad hoc basis for events until junior college, when she became involved with Club Rainbow through a school community service project.

When she was 17, Tan and her peers from Hwa Chong Institution organised Project Butterfly Effect, an initiative that provided tutoring sessions to children with chronic illnesses or disabilities — the beneficiaries of Club Rainbow.

Tan began volunteering more actively with the charity in 2024. One of her most memorable experiences came during a museum visit she organised in 2025, which gave her an opportunity to interact more closely with beneficiaries and gain insight into perspectives that are often overlooked.

"I really wanted them to be able to have a chance to have a day off and enjoy themselves." said Tan.

She and her team even conducted a site recce beforehand, to ensure that the museum was accessible for all 10 to 20 children participating. 

Tan was heartened to see children of various ages enjoying themselves throughout the day and touched when caregivers and beneficiaries told her it was one of the most enjoyable outings they had experienced.

Volunteering, to Tan, is as important as any of her other commitments, including academics. She was willing to find time amidst her busy schedule to volunteer because it gave her hope to take action. 

"It's very easy to get wrapped up in your own bubble and focus only on your own problems, without seeing other's perspectives," said Tan.

But she saw volunteering as an antidote to that mindset.

"It helps you see that there are actually people who might be right next to you who are struggling and [that] you can make a difference in their lives."

Analysing evidence, building empathy

Outside of volunteering, Tan is also an avid reader with a particular fondness for mystery novels.

Tan said that her favourite was Tim Sullivan's whodunnit, The Monk.  

"⁠I liked it because it explored how people have a lot more depth to them than how they may first appear," said Tan, highlighting that readers are given a chance to see the murder victim as "more than just a Benedictine monk".

She was particularly drawn to how the detective protagonist solved the case not only to find the truth, but also to support the victim's family.

"I related to the idea that uncovering the truth can be healing and restorative for those affected by tragedy," Tan explained.

Even as she pursues a degree in forensic science, Tan continues to carry this sense of empathy with her.

Since commencing her undergraduate studies at Pennsylvania State University, she has learnt that while forensic science begins with critical and objective analysis of evidence, it also requires maintaining empathy for everyone involved. 

"When you're working with real-life cases, you want to understand how the victim feels towards it, how they feel towards the case's progression and how to break the news to them and their families [once it is solved]," said Tan.

She added that it was helpful to extend empathy even to the suspects as understanding their perspective could result in a breakthrough in the case and a re-evaluation of the existing evidence.

Studying in the United States has also broadened her understanding of different criminal justice systems and public attitudes towards law enforcement.

"When I was speaking to my peers [there], I realised that there was very low community trust in the police force and that's something that I never want the SPF to [face]," shared Tan.

Those conversations strengthened her resolve to prioritise strong community relations between the SPF and the people it serves.

Tan's vision of Singapore is not just for it to be safe, but also for it to be a place where people feel "connected to each other". 

She believes in a Singapore where different people in the community can be seen as reliable to turn to for help.

As the first female SPF scholar to also receive the President's Scholarship, Tan feels that is as much of a privilege as it is a duty. 

"I am very privileged to be able to sit here today and share what I'm passionate about with the public," said Tan. 

"But I would also say that it is a duty [as] I have to be able to use my platform for good, productive and meaningful causes."

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