Taniecia has a bubbly personality and is currently the President of the Student Council in her school. She enjoys organising school activities and plays netball as a CCA. No one would have guessed that this 15-year-old girl once struggled in class and had a hard time accepting that she had dyslexia. In her free time, she reads. Percy Jackson & the Olympians book series is her favourite work of fiction. She is motivated to read all of Percy Jackson’s adventures because he struggles with dyslexia. She has been in the SDA programme since she was in Primary 3. Her sense of accomplishment is greatly enhanced by her class showcases and stage performances. Taniecia has always been interested in creating and experimenting with her own ideas, which is why she wants to be an architect when she grows up.
1. What are your learning struggles? And how did you overcome them?
When I first realised that I have dyslexia, I struggled to internalise that I was different from others. Furthermore, I was upset that no matter how hard I tried to study, I could not grasp the concepts taught by my teachers. However, this took a turn when I entered secondary school. For the first time ever, I aced my test! This gave me the confidence to keep going and aim for good grades. With this newfound confidence in myself, I discovered that anything is possible for me, despite my dyslexia and the fact that it may take me longer to learn new things.
2. What do you like about your SDA class?
Every Saturday, I look forward to my SDA class because I can use drama to express myself. I feel safe and at ease in SDA class since I know and trust everyone there. The roles I performed in my drama class have allowed me to assess my strengths and weaknesses and how I can best improve. When I’m working on characters that may come from different backgrounds than mine, it not only forces me to think of a variety of methods to portray difficult characters to the best of my abilities, but it also helps me to develop my degree of empathy for others.
Taniecia’s debut in SDA’s Journey of the Legends at the Gateway Theatre in 2017.
She was one of the courtiers to the Jade Emperor.
Taniecia was one of the fairies in Midsummer Chaotic Dreams – The Fairy World, a show segment in DAS Student Graduation & Awards Ceremony
In 2021, Taniecia wrote her own monologue based on a character from the Descendants trilogy from Cherry’s Adventures of Sleeping Beauty – Princess Audrey Rose.
She presented her monologue as Princess Audrey Rose in The Twisted Tales, 2021 virtual showcase.
Taniecia, in a group photo with Ms Lifah, Speech and Drama Arts Programme Manager, and the other cast members from Castaway, a performance in conjunction with DAS Student Graduation and Achievement Award ceremony in 2022.
3. How has being a drama student helped you be a better student or leader?
Being a drama student has helped me improve my English oral skills because we learn how to improvise and think quickly in SDA drama classes. These classes have taught me how critical it is to think quickly under pressure, whether it be on stage or in real life.
4. How do you feel to be a part of Gift of Wonders?
I’m very grateful and thrilled to be a part of Gift of Wonders, as I would be able to represent other talented students who are also struggling with dyslexia and help raise funds to support students in DAS in discovering their talents. Furthermore, the Gift of Wonders gives SDA students, like me, an opportunity to showcase our acting skills. My friends and I work very hard during our rehearsals. And I hope the audience will be impressed with our show.
The Speech & Drama Arts programme is being offered at Bishan Learning Centre.
