Home Personal Dyslexia Stories Seed Their Dreams: A Mother’s Gratitude, A Daughter’s Achievements and a Gift to Future Generations

Personal Dyslexia Stories, Celebrating Dyslexia Success

Seed Their Dreams: A Mother’s Gratitude, A Daughter’s Achievements and a Gift to Future Generations

By Deborah Hewes
Alicia and Amelia
Inspired by her daughter Amelia’s journey with dyslexia, DAS Board Member Alicia Tan is helping other students discover their strengths and pursue their dreams beyond academics.

When Alicia Tan enrolled her six-year-old daughter Amelia at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS), she hoped to help her overcome difficulties with reading and writing.

Amelia loved stories and storybooks, yet reading was a struggle. At school, she often wondered why she found things difficult when other children seemed to manage so easily.

Then she came to DAS.

For Amelia, being surrounded by other children who shared similar learning experiences made an enormous difference.

“I realised I was not alone,” Amelia recalled in Learning Differently; Together, DAS’s 35th Anniversary Book.

Through the encouragement of her teachers and the supportive environment at DAS, Amelia developed strategies to manage her learning differences, discovered her strengths and grew in confidence.

For Alicia, watching this transformation was the beginning of a journey that would eventually inspire her to give back to DAS in a very special way.

From Learning Differently to Achieving Extraordinary Things

Today, Amelia Chua is a national short track speed skater who has represented Singapore at some of the world’s most prestigious winter sporting events.

She qualified for Singapore’s National Development Squad at nine and became the youngest-ever skater to qualify for the national team at 11.

Her achievements include representing Singapore at the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2024, Asian Winter Games 2025 and FISU Winter World University Games 2025. She is also the youngest-ever Singaporean female skater to qualify for and compete at the ISU World Championships and World Tours.

In 2026, Amelia set a new national junior record for the 500 metres at the ISU Short Track World Championships in Montreal. She holds 14 national age-group records.

Alongside her sporting achievements, Amelia is pursuing a law degree at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

For a young woman who once struggled to read a few paragraphs, her journey has been remarkable.

Reflecting on her experience, Amelia wrote:

“I learnt differently. But I also learnt what I was capable of.”

Amelia credits her experience at DAS with helping her develop the focus, confidence and courage to pursue her dreams.

In 2019, she received the DAS Young Achiever Award, recognising her sporting achievements and personal development.

A Mother’s Journey Becomes a Commitment to Others

Watching Amelia flourish inspired Alicia to learn more about dyslexia. She attended workshops and subsequently completed the DAS Academy’s Certificate in Dyslexia and Literacy Teaching.

Her involvement with DAS continued long after Amelia graduated in 2018.

Alicia began volunteering with the DAS Fundraising Committee in 2020 and subsequently joined the DAS Board, contributing her time, experience and commitment to supporting children who learn differently.

Now, she is taking that commitment a step further.

Inspired by the empowering environment that helped Amelia thrive, Alicia has pledged S$50,000 to establish the DAS Talent Empowerment Fund.

The initiative provides scholarships to help current DAS students and eligible alumni develop their strengths and talents beyond academics, particularly in sports and the arts.

For Alicia, the motivation is deeply personal.

“My family and I are thankful to DAS for helping Amelia thrive not only in her education but also in her sport,” she shared.

“DAS has provided a very empowering environment for her, through the programmes as well as the encouragement of her teachers and the DAS community.”

 Seed Their Dreams

Amelia’s sporting journey has also benefited from external scholarships, an experience that helped inspire the structure of the new DAS initiative.

But for Alicia, the heart of the Fund lies in something more fundamental: the confidence and encouragement that DAS gave her daughter.

She hopes other children who learn differently will have similar opportunities to discover their strengths and pursue their aspirations, regardless of their families’ financial circumstances.

Through her generosity, Alicia is helping DAS extend its commitment to empowering students beyond academic learning.

Amelia’s story began with a little girl who loved books but struggled to read them. Today, she is reading law and proudly representing Singapore on the international sporting stage.

Her mother’s story has come full circle, from seeking support for her daughter to helping create opportunities for the next generation.

One family’s journey is now helping to seed the dreams of many others.

DAS TALENT EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIPS

The DAS Talent Empowerment Fund provides scholarship opportunities for eligible DAS students and alumni pursuing talents in sports and the arts.

Find out more about the Fund, eligibility and applications:  bit.ly/DAS-TEF

https://das.org.sg/talent-development-programme-tdp/#talent-empowerment-fund

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