A LOVE FOR WORDS

As a student, Captain (CPT) Yee Chern Hwee led an active life. She did gymnastics in primary school, track and field in secondary school and junior college, and dabbled in cheerleading in university.

It was no surprise, then, that she sought a job far from the 9-to-5 grind of corporate life. She signed on with the Singapore Armed Forces in 2012, and now works as a controller to provide command and control functions in support of air defence operations.

"I'm learning many new things in the role as the squadron places strong emphasis on professionalism and knowledge."

When her eyes are not trained on the skies, she spends much of her spare time lost in the world of words. "I was inspired to be like my friends who are well-read and knowledgeable," she explained.

It's clear that she has a love for languages. She studied Bahasa Melayu as a third language in school, and also picked up German in university. If that wasn't enough, she currently spends Sunday afternoons learning Japanese.

"It's easier to understand another culture through its native language. It's also much easier to make friends from other countries!"