A feather in her cap: Mae holding up the certificate in recognition of her Gold Finalist achievement at the QCEC 2020.
WHEN she was younger, Mae Chew was apprehensive every time she sat for her English language written examinations.
Her essays were either incomplete or filled with crossed-out sentences as she struggled to find the “perfect” words or phrases to convey her ideas.
The 16-year-old has since broken free from the shackles of self-doubt. Last November, Mae bagged the Gold Finalist award at the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) 2020, which saw the participation of 13,000 students from 58 countries.
It was the highest accolade awarded at the annual event, known to be the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools.