Pauline Mok



pauline@souljournal.sg

When she was 9, she embarked on a “pongtang” journey that most of her peers would never think of doing. During Primary 3, Pauline went on a self-declared break from school. She hung out at the school canteen in the morning and waited for her sister to finish class so she could go home with her, taking the school bus together.

After two weeks, she decided it was time to return to classes and amazingly, she passed her exams and was ranked 9th in class that year.

Pauline, a latchkey kid, has learned to take care of herself since 8 years old. She and her siblings had to rely on one other for support and companionship. Her father was out at work on most days while her mother was at a neighbour’s house playing mahjong.

Pauline was a Normal academic student who worked hard to be promoted to the Express stream. At the same time, she was very active in the National Cadet Corps (NCC) achieving the Cadet Sergeant Major rank and was a role model to her peers.

She eventually went to Ngee Ann Polytechnic to do a Diploma in Quality Assurance Engineering. Pauline has also graduated from a Specialist Dip in Human Services (Silver Award), Graduate Dip of Social Science in Professional Counselling and Graduate Dip in Solution Focused Brief Therapy.

She has been a youth worker since 1998 and completed her Master of Social Science in Professional Counselling program in 2008. Pauline is a Counsellor and a Certified Solution Focused Therapist.

When the odds are against you, don’t give up. You can never know who you will become.