NTU student, 20, shares how father's Grab job brought family closer amidst financial & mental health challenges

For many of us, Grab is synonymous with getting a ride to our next destination.

But for Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student Goi Ruo En, whose 58-year-old father has been a Grab driver-partner for seven years, she's grateful for the role the ride-hailing operator played in bringing her family closer together.

Ruo En, 20, is pursuing her studies as a first-year student in the Wee Kim Wee School of Communications at NTU.

She is also a recipient of the 2025 Grab Emerald Circle Scholarship, a S$15,000 bond-free scholarship at local universities, which is awarded to the children of Grab partners to support their dreams of pursuing higher education.

Ruo En shared with Mothership candidly about her mental health struggles in the past, how things turned around after her father chose to drive for Grab instead of helming his own business, and how the scholarship supports her in pursuing her dreams.

Struggled trying to be the 'good girl'

"I've always tried to be the 'good girl'", said Ruo En.

A former head prefect in primary school, Ruo En later headed the Mass Communications Society of Dunman High School, and also took up other leadership positions at the urging of her parents and teachers.

But during the transition into secondary school, Ruo En admitted she started feeling "lost" and "confused".

"I felt the choices in my life were for other people," she reflected.

2017 was a rough year for Ruo En's family. Her father, who had been travelling frequently to meet clients for his trade and logistics business, found himself struggling to keep it afloat.

Her mother was busy at work too.

As her family grappled with financial difficulties, Ruo En struggled inwardly with issues like performance anxiety and identity — topics she would later speak to a school counsellor about.

Things turned around after father started driving Grab

A turning point came in January 2018, when her father, Goi, decided to drive for Grab so he could spend more quality time with his family.

Goi, who was interviewed alongside his daughter, explained that it gave him the flexibility to drive his family around, whilst ensuring he had regular earnings.

He would send Ruo En and her elder brother to school each morning, and also ferry his wife to and from her real estate meetings.

"Every day in Sec 1, without fail, my father would send me to school, and we would chat and catch up in the car," said Ruo En, as the two shared a knowing smile.

"That really strengthened our relationship."

Thanks to the support from her family and the school counsellor, Ruo En is in a much better place right now.

Goi admitted that in his previous roles, including a management position in a multinational corporation (MNC), he was mostly focused on earning money and as a result, did not prioritise time with his family.

So as a Grab driver, he personally sets an upper limit of 10 hours of driving a day, for six days a week.

And if the "family car" is required, he would readily make himself available.

"It is definitely worth it, as family is the most important", said Goi.

Grab scholarship helps her follow her passion

For Ruo En, one key takeaway from her family's journey through a tough patch is that "money is not everything" when it comes to career.

Though it’s an unorthodox path, Ruo En hopes to follow her passion for story-telling and film-making – something close to her heart from young.

In the 2022 National Chinese Short Film Competition, Ruo En, then a junior college student, won a Best Film Director Award for a psychological thriller about bullying.

However, in finding a career that aligns with her values, Ruo En had numerous discussions with her parents where they advised her to choose a path that would be “financially viable”.

To give herself some breathing room in chasing her passion, Ruo En applied for the Grab Emerald Circle Scholarship in March.

At the interview, Ruo En said she was surprised to have real and grounded conversations with the panel about issues like the empowerment of drivers and businesses in South-East Asia.

"I honestly don't mind coming to Grab to work," she added, as she appreciated the way the company cared about its partners.

In June, to the pride of her parents, Ruo En was one of the nine recipients of the 2025 Grab Emerald Circle Scholarship, out of over 200 applicants.

"It's really a shared achievement for the family," said Ruo En.

She added that she is grateful that the scholarship will reduce the financial burden on her parents for her university studies.

With this assurance, Ruo En went on a student-led service learning trip to Laos with her university in June.

There, she was able to stretch her filmmaking chops, with a film project about employers in the community who hired vulnerable women, including those who lost their limbs from unexploded mines.

"I want to cover stories about the human condition and which can give voice to the voiceless," she said.

As for her parents, they are supportive of Ruo En’s career dreams, as they want her to “be able to make her own choices”.

At the end of the interview, I also asked Goi, who recently took a break after injuring his left arm in a fall, if he is considering retirement any time soon.

"I think I will drive Grab for a few more years," the 58-year-old said.

"I really like driving and having the freedom to go around and explore Singapore. And the dignity of being my own boss."

Top image courtesy of Ruo En/ by Mothership.