As an introvert, Evangeline Foo's soft-spoken demeanour may lead some to underestimate her.

But not only is this NUS College (NUSC) freshman taking a degree in Psychology and pursuing minors in Asian Studies and Data Analytics, she is also a national-level sportswoman with a future career lined up with the Home Team, as a Ministry of Home Affairs scholar.

Her path towards this future career started with a simple, albeit spine-chilling interest: a fascination for true crime stories, and the deep, dark intricacies of the human mind.

Inside the mind of a killer

“The main reason why I wanted to study psychology was because of my interest in criminal psychology,” she said.

In her free time, Foo indulges in mysteries and thrillers based on real-life events from the comfort of her room in NUSC.

She is a great fan of podcasts like Rotten Mango, and most recently watched the movie on notorious serial killer Ted Bundy.

But what is it about true crime that fascinates her?

“I like their analysis of the factors that lead up to them eventually becoming criminals. Like their childhood background or the circumstances they grew up in - all contributing towards the people they become.”

But that’s not all Foo gets up to on campus besides her studies.

When she’s not immersed in an adrenaline-inducing criminal case, she’s getting her heart rate up at the gym.

A national athlete

Foo was a sporty kid since young, doing gymnastics and track in primary school, but eventually decided to go in a different direction as she grew older.

“Running and gymnastics came more naturally to me. So, I guess to challenge myself, I chose to do something that was totally different,” Foo said of her sojourn into bowling.

Her gamble paid off, as she excelled so much in the sport that she eventually made the cut for the Singapore national team.

Despite the rigour and demands of her academic programmes, Foo continues to represent Team Singapore as a national-level bowler.

Her passion for the sport led her to also join the NUS Bowling team, where she trains twice a week and represents NUS in inter-varsity games against other universities.

Training to compete at an international level may be tough for most students, but living on campus allows Foo the flexibility to fulfil her commitments and pursue a variety of interests.

Recently, she even tried out a new sport at NUSC – touch rugby!

NUSC is located in the heart of NUS University Town (UTown), where there are “amenities like a supermarket, swimming pool, gym, and great supper places nearby for when you pull all-nighters and need a break,” she said.

She resides in a single room at NUSC, sharing a suite with five other students from different majors like Political Science and Mathematics.

Aside from the convenience of living in UTown, NUSC also enables students of different backgrounds to interact and learn from each other.

NUSC students enjoy the support of faculty, residential fellows and student support managers who live amongst them, as well as activities that span the gamut from watching relaxing movies to monthly evening dialogues with politicians, including Janil Puthucheary and Desmond Lee.

Finding the right balance

Foo’s psychology studies will put her in good stead in her future career with the Home Team, but she also chose NUSC because of its global opportunities and interdisciplinary studies.

After all, NUSC students enjoy close ties to a network of peers, seniors and alumni.

Even though her main interest is psychology, Foo appreciates the interdisciplinary environment at NUSC, where she can learn more about different fields throughout her stay at the College, which would help her link up with experts in the relevant proficiencies in the future.

Like her fellow students at NUSC, Foo takes special courses outside her major, where she collaborates with classmates specialising in different fields in an interdisciplinary, peer-learning seminar setting, to tackle real world problems from multiple perspectives.

This helps them prepare for their future careers, which might require integrating knowledge from various fields or collaborating with people from different backgrounds.

Foo has also taken a course in data analytics, which she believes will be useful in crunching numbers and other bits of information to give her a better understanding of cases.

Artificial intelligence

Learning data analytics may open new doors for students like Foo, given the buzz around recent tools powered by machine learning like Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT, which have rocked the creative fields and redefined what we thought was possible in terms of creation.

For those interested in artificial intelligence, NUSC offers a course where students can learn how to build generative AI models, explore their potential for creative work, and also learn about the ethical and legal implications of this cutting-edge technology.

Giving back

Another thing that AI-powered robots may not yet be able to spontaneously do is give back to the community.

Foo herself has benefited from the NUSC peer mentorship programme where a Year 3 NUSC and Psychology student helped Foo and her fellow Year 1 students familiarise themselves with academic requirements and life on campus.

“He always sends us recruitment announcements for Psychology interns, and he tries to find out which areas of Psychology we’re interested in, so when he finds suitable opportunities, he’ll inform us about them,” she said.

Foo also recalled a conversation she had with a friend, discussing why many NUSC students actively take up leadership roles and organise events.

Based on her friend’s experience, one possible reason is because it is fulfilling to see how her actions can have a positive impact and build the culture of NUSC.

“I think a lot of NUSC students are more active in these areas because they are truly passionate about it. For a person who hasn’t really had much experience in terms of volunteer work and giving back to the community, it encourages me to be more proactive in this area.”

She shared her plans to volunteer with an organisation that works with special needs and underprivileged children, to teach them soft skills and just interact with them.

“If I have a goal of contributing to society, I don’t have to be (fixated) on the path that I want to take in order to reach that goal,” she said. Every contribution helps, as part of a bigger system.

This is a sponsored article brought to you by NUS College, Singapore’s first honours college where students sign up for a rigorous academic experience and live amongst an interdisciplinary community always looking to learn.

Top image from NUS.