DSA Success Stories

Meet Elizabeth Wong, a passionate STEM enthusiast and Primary 6 Lee House Captain from Methodist Girls’ School (Primary) in 2025, who believes that science and coding can be powerful tools to help others and make a positive impact on society!

From creating Python games that gamify science learning to participating in innovation and STEM projects, Elizabeth’s curiosity, compassion, and love for problem-solving have shaped her into a confident young innovator. Her dedication and growth led her to receive two confirmed DSA offers for the Integrated Programme:

• Methodist Girls’ School – DSA STEM

• Raffles Girls’ School – DSA Science

Elizabeth is now studying at Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary) in 2026, and has been awarded an Honourable Mention in the Innovation Insider Magazine (January 2026) 20 under 20, highlighting all her amazing achievements and skills. Read on to discover Elizabeth’s inspiring STEM journey! 🌱

At just 12  years old, Paden Wong from Qifa Primary School has already made remarkable strides in his coding journey. His curiosity, creativity, and determination recently led him to win the Gold Award at the Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge HCIC 2025.

His enthusiasm for coding, love of puzzles, and drive to explore the world of technology have shaped him into a young innovator ready for any challenge. His dedication shows that coding is not just about skill but also about heart and resilience.  Read on more to find out about Paden’s coding journey!

At just 12  years old, Ng Zhi Qing Yownah from Nan Hua Primary School has already made remarkable strides in his coding journey. His curiosity, creativity, and determination recently led him to win the Gold Award at the Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge 2025. Whether it’s building games, solving challenging problems, or simply exploring new ideas, Yownah is always ready to take on the next challenge. His dedication shows that coding is not just about skill but also about heart and resilience. 

One of three students from his school to embrace the challenge, Yownah poured in hours of preparation. Earning the Gold award reflected not just his skill, but his dedication. Yownah is now attending National Junior College in 2026. Read on more to find out more about Yownah’s coding journey!

At just 12 years old, Ryland Etheredge from St Stephen's Primary School has already carved his name among the top young coders in Singapore.  Winning the Platinum Award (only given to the top 1.5% of participants) at the prestigious Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2025, his inspiring journey is one of perseverance, determination, and big dreams.

Ryland’s coding journey began when he was just six years old, in a Lego robotics class his mom signed him up for. It wasn’t long before he was yearning for more serious coding knowledge. He joined Coding Lab where  he has since attended our weekly classes, holiday camps, taken on countless projects and the rest is history! Now attending St. Joseph’s Institution in 2026, Ryland has achieved a lot through his coding journey. Read on to find out more!

At just 12 years old, Jack Tay from Qihua Primary School has already carved his name among the top young coders in Singapore winning the Platinum Award at the prestigious Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2025. Jack’s journey is one of passion, perseverance, and problem-solving prowess. His story reflects not only an early spark in coding but a burning determination to overcome obstacles and rise to the top 1.5% of all participants.

Jack’s story began in Kindergarten 2, when a simple Cubetto robot sparked his interest in coding. That curiosity blossomed into a real passion when he joined a Scratch Jr holiday camp at Coding Lab, and since then, he has never looked back. From Scratch to Python, Jack has built creative projects, honed his logical thinking, and learned the art of perseverance—especially when faced with a tricky bug. 

We want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our students, Aqil Poh, Elizabeth Wong, and Audrey Foo, for their remarkable achievements at the prestigious innovation competition, Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors Award (TKKYIA) 2025. This highly respected competition brought together some of the brightest young minds and innovators in Singapore, and we are incredibly proud that our students shone among them!

This year, our hearts are full as we celebrate 𝟏𝟎 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐂𝐈𝐂 and 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟎 𝐃𝐒𝐀 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 from our students! 🌟 Their hard work and passion have opened doors to top schools such as…

At just 10 years old, Lam Dieu Phong from Cedar Primary School is already exploring three different coding languages and building meaningful projects.

His love for reading and programming has taken him far—he earned the Silver Award and Judges’ Choice (Social Impact) at the International Coding Showcase (ICS) 2024/25 for a project that showed both creativity and purpose.

With a curious mind and a love for learning, Dieu Phong is one young coder to watch! Read on to find out more about his coding journey and aspirations.

From biking across Mars in his imagination to building apps that raise awareness for animal conservation, Aqil, age 11, brings bold creativity and deep purpose to everything he does.

His passion for history, space, and making a difference truly stood out at the International Coding Showcase (ICS) 2024/25, where he won Gold, received the Judges’ Choice for Most Creative & Social Impact, and was specially selected by Singapore Zoo staff for the Wildlife Conservation Award—a triple achievement that reflects his inspiring journey!

He has also previously taken part in other competitions, such as the MIT AI & Education Summit ‘Hack the Climate’ Hackathon (Beginner Open Category), where he and his teammates won the 2nd Prize!

Read more about his coding journey and where he finds his inspiration!

From the colorful world of LEGO to the digital space of Scratch and Python, 11-year-old Joseph from Fairfield Methodist Primary School has been turning imagination into innovation since he was 7.

A seasoned ICS participant, Joseph’s years of effort and growth were recognized at the International Coding Showcase 2024/25, where he earned the coveted Platinum Award.

With a love for structured thinking and a heart set on improving technology for everyone, Joseph proves that small steps—like snapping LEGO bricks or writing lines of code—can lead to big achievements.

Read more about his coding journey here!

At just 9 years old, Asami is already juggling tennis training, coding, magic tricks, and game design with ease and energy.

A second-time participant of the International Coding Showcase (ICS), Asami’s creativity and love for coding earned her a Silver Award and the Judges’ Choice (Social Impact) award at the International Coding Showcase (ICS) 2024/25.

With her latest game in the works and her sights set on Scratch’s featured list, Asami’s coding journey is full of magic, momentum, and meaningful impact.

Read on more to find out about her coding journey!

At just 8 years old, Siow Wen Yan is already making waves with her coding creativity and drive.

Her love for reading and interest in cybersecurity inspired her to take on a new challenge—joining the International Coding Showcase (ICS) 2024/25, where she earned the Gold Award and the Judges’ Choice (Best Design) Award!

With big dreams and a strong belief in her abilities, Wen Yan is proof that age is no barrier to innovation.

Read on to find out more about her coding journey and aspirations!

Meet Dionysia Kyvetou, or Denise, a 10-year-old competitive swimmer from Stamford American International School and avid reader who brings just as much passion to the keyboard as she does to the pool.

Her love for animals and creative ideas led her to win the Gold Award at the International Coding Showcase (ICS) 2024/25 with a meaningful Python project!

From fiction books to real-world coding, Denise shows us that you’re never too young to make an impact. Read on to find out more about her ICS journey!

Meet Soham Bhole, a 13-year-old from Yuvabharathi International School with a passion for both programming and planes.

Whether he’s creating web apps or dreaming of soaring through the skies, Soham is always looking for new ways to challenge himself.

His innovative thinking and love for impactful coding earned him both the Gold Award and the Judges’ Choice (Most Innovative and Social Impact) at the International Coding Showcase (ICS) 2024/25, where he wowed the judges with a project that combines creativity, logic, and purpose.

Read on to find out more about his coding journey and aspirations!

The International Coding Showcase (ICS) 2024/25 was a celebration like no other. Not only did it mark the 5th anniversary of this global competition – it was also the first time the awards ceremony was held live and in person, and there was no better place than the Singapore Zoo to honour our young coders and their conservation-themed projects!

Meet Loh Yu Shern, a 13 years old from Nan Chiau High School who balances his love for tech with volleyball, music, and gaming.

With a calm and creative spirit, Yu Shern brings thoughtful innovation to his coding projects—and it shows.

He clinched the Gold Award and Judges’ Choice (Budding Coder) Award at the International Coding Showcase (ICS) 2024/25, impressing judges with his ability to tackle problems with both logic and imagination. Read on more about his coding journey and aspirations!

Meet Anish, a 13-year-old tech enthusiast whose love for creativity and technology shines through everything he does. From coding and robotics to collecting Pokémon cards, he thrives on discovery, problem-solving, and meaningful innovation.

With his impressive win of the Platinum Award and Judges’ Choice (Best Presentation) at the International Coding Showcase 2024/25, Anish has shown that age is no barrier when it comes to making an impact with technology. Read on to find out more about his coding journey and his ICS 2024/25 experience!

Meet Nakamura Shinji, our talented young coder with a knack for creativity and solving real-world problems! Shinji has consecutively won top prizes in the annual International Coding Showcase for the past 3 years - Distinction Award in 2022, Platinum and Judge’s Choice (Most Innovative) Awards in 2023, and Gold and Judge’s Choice Award (Most Innovative) Awards in 2024/25!

Beyond his strong coding skills, Shinji has a unique talent for solving problems in unexpected ways. He has twice earned the “Most Innovative” award with projects addressing global challenges such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Singapore Zoo’s wildlife conservation efforts. Read on to discover more about his coding journey, innovative projects, and what is his secret on thinking innovatively!

Meet Sanya Gudi, a bright young coder with a passion for technology, creativity and making a difference!

At just 12 years old, she’s already achieved an incredible milestone – winning SheHacks 2025, a prestigious girls-only hackathon that celebrates innovation and problem-solving.

Read on as we get to know more about her coding journey, her winning project, and what drives her forward!

From flipping through a Scratch book at age eight to winning the top prize at the Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2024 - only awarded to the top 1.5% of participants, Isaac’s coding journey has been nothing short of remarkable!

Whether he's building games or tinkering with code to understand how things work, Isaac has developed a deep appreciation for coding that extends beyond competition wins. His ability to push himself, experiment, and problem-solve makes him an inspiring young coder to watch.

At just a year into his coding journey, Ong Zi Xun has already proven his mettle by clinching the Bronze award at the prestigious Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2024.

Zi Xun’s story is one of resilience, curiosity, and the pursuit of his passions. Initially introduced to coding during a school holiday camp, he quickly developed a deep interest in it, fueled by his love for games and creativity.

Despite facing challenges, like not getting into his first-choice robotics club, Zi Xun didn’t let setbacks deter him. Instead, he turned to coding as an outlet to explore his love for technology and problem-solving. His journey serves as an inspiring example of how determination and enthusiasm can lead to remarkable achievements. Read on to find out more about his coding journey!

Meet Kia Shian, a passionate young coder who has been exploring the world of programming since the age of 7!

His dedication and creativity have led him to achieve remarkable milestones, including winning the Silver Award at the prestigious Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2024 as well as the Gold and Judge’s Choice - Best Presentation Award at the International Coding Showcase 2023.

Combining his love for coding with his knack for problem-solving, Kia Shian has consistently demonstrated resilience and innovation in his projects. From crafting educational games to envisioning AI-driven solutions for societal improvement, Kia Shian is an inspiring example of how technology can be harnessed to make a difference. Let’s dive into his coding journey, aspirations, and advice for fellow young programmers.

Meet Alicia, an inspiring young coder whose dedication to STEM has earned her a Direct School Admission (DSA) offer to her preferred schools and won her various awards in both the local and global stage - the 1st Prize in the prestigious MIT AI & Education Summit, and the Silver Award in the International Coding Showcase 2023!

At Coding Lab, we are proud to showcase the incredible journeys of our students who continue to push boundaries and achieve remarkable feats.

Meet Chen Kai, a talented young coder whose determination and passion for learning have led him to significant accomplishments, including the Bronze Award at the prestigious Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) and a successful DSA offer to the School of Science and Technology (SST) for 2025!

At just 12 years old, Alicia Khong has already made remarkable strides in the world of programming. Starting her coding journey at the tender age of 7, she has grown to become a role model for young coders everywhere, showcasing how determination and passion can lead to extraordinary achievements.

This year, Alicia’s incredible journey was featured in Lianhe Zaobao, where her story of perseverance, innovation, and success captured the hearts of readers. Her achievements speak volumes about her talent and hard work:

At Coding Lab, we believe in nurturing curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills in our students, and Tan Yap is a shining example of this philosophy in action!

Tan Yap’s coding journey began when she was just in preschool, sparked by a robotics class that piqued her curiosity. Since then, her passion for coding has grown immensely, from Scratch to Python, and now exploring languages like JavaScript and C++. She has even competed in the prestigious Hwa Chong Infocomm Challenge (HCIC) 2024 and won the Platinum award in her first-ever competition, only awarded to the top 1.5% of participants — an achievement that speaks volumes about her dedication and drive!

At Coding Lab, we are excited to share the incredible journeys of our students. Meet Aiden Breva, a 12-year-old from Tanjong Katong Primary School who has already made a significant impact in the world of coding and cybersecurity!

Today, we are introducing Prabir, an aspiring 13-year-old coder who clinched the Top Platinum Award for the Hwa Chong Info-Communications Challenge (HCIC) 2023, which is only awarded to the top 1.5% of the participants!

A huge round of applause to our exceptional 2024 batch of students for their fantastic performance at this years HCIC! 🏆 This year, our students made us proud by taking home an impressive 18 awards, including 5 Platinum Awards (given to the top 1.5% of participants!), 2 of which were earned by girls. Talk about #girlpower!