Christian James Sethmohan - President's Award For Teachers Finalist 2022

Our educators continue to do SP proud! This year, Christian James Sethmohan is the prestigious President’s Award for Teachers (PAT) Finalist. 

A specialist (T&L) from the Media, Arts and Design (MAD) School, James’ eventful learning journey starting from his ‘O’ Level days, is a testament to his perseverance and passion in the field of media arts. Having only passed his ‘O’ Level examinations after the second try, he has since come a long way. 

When asked about how he feels about receiving the award, James shared, “This award helps me consolidate and reflect on my life and career. I am eternally grateful to everyone who has walked the journey with me; my family, my colleagues and bosses, my students, and especially my wife who has supported me from when I was a technician until today, as a senior lecturer. I am humbled by this recognition.”

James’ motivation behind becoming a teacher originates from his work at SP as a technician for six years. During this time, he marvelled at how his producers and directors worked meticulously to piece together elaborate visual productions, and this planted the seeds of inspiration in him. The opportunity arose as he was collaborating with various schools and departments in SP, which opened many doors for him to immerse himself in a thriving and dynamic education landscape that encouraged him to pursue his dreams. 

Little did he know his experience reignited his can-do attitude, giving him the courage to pursue his goals and aspirations. The journey of self-improvement nurtured him from his early days as a technician to a media producer, a well-loved lecturer, a course chair, and now an academic mentor.

Christian James Sethmohan with his students from the Diploma of Visual Effects and Motion Graphics, Crystel Chia and Lumna Chitrakar

Having walked the walk, James believes in motivating and providing opportunities for youth to achieve their potential. Constantly encouraging his students to explore using the latest technologies of the industry to tackle challenging and novel tasks, his efforts paid off with innovative project outcomes such as Central Narcotics Bureau’s Anti-Drug Abuse campaign, which employed the latest Projection Mapping technology. The production was showcased to Minister of State for the Ministries of Home Affairs and National Development, Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim in 2021.

By capitalising on students who have mastered their production abilities to lead and coach their juniors on various projects, James successfully managed to steer these young and bright individuals in the right direction by bringing Project-Based Learning (PBL) to life. “As a lecturer, it is my desire to connect with my students and involve them in real-life projects by introducing real-life contexts and the latest technologies into the curriculum through PBL. My work and learning journey have reinforced the importance of students becoming their own teachers. PBL is a perfect avenue for that as it motivates students to become independent workers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners,” he said.

SP is privileged to have dedicated educators like Christian James Sethmohan who go above and beyond to provide the best quality education to his students. Congratulations, Christian, on being one of the finalists for this award. We thank you for your unwavering support to both our students and SP’s academic faculty!