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Sophia Lai is a Tan Kay Yong Gold Medal winner from SP’s Diploma in Media, Arts & Design, specialising in Creative Community Engagement with Psychology. In this interview, she discussed her team’s final-year project “Mind the Gap”. The project transformed Tampines Bus Interchange into an interactive exhibition exploring empathy, wellness and how public transport can feel overwhelming for individuals with autism. Visitors were encouraged to reflect on why people may hesitate to help others in distress and to better understand the experiences of commuters with different needs. Sophia shared that her own experience with burnout during secondary school influenced her belief that society should value softer elements such as art, imagination and emotional expression alongside academic achievement and efficiency. The exhibition invited commuters to interact with “barrier boards” that explored people’s fears, emotions, and uncertainties about helping others. Sophia said many parents of children with autism found the exhibition meaningful because it helped them better understand their children’s experiences. “Mind the Gap” received a S$5,000 Young Changemakers grant and was second runner-up at the Singapore Psychological Society Student Research Awards 2025. Sophia and several teammates plan to continue into social work, while her juniors from SP are continuing similar collaboration projects with SBS Transit.

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