Meet Evelyn Tan — a curious, driven student from CHIJ who discovered her passion for robotics in Primary 4 and hasn’t looked back since. Today, she’s heading to Nanyang Girls’ High School (NYGS) via the Direct School Admission (DSA) pathway, with a portfolio filled with robotics competition trophies, coding projects, and the kind of real-world problem-solving skills that top schools are looking for.

We sat down with Evelyn and her mother to hear about their robotics education journey — from her first LEGO build to representing Singapore at national robotics competitions, and ultimately securing a place at NYGS through DSA.

🚀 Meet Evelyn Tan, NYGS DSA Scholar

“At NK Robotics, I didn’t just learn how to build robots — I learned how to think. When something doesn’t work, you don’t give up. You debug, try again, and figure it out. That mindset helped me not just in competitions, but in school too.”

— Evelyn Tan, NYGS DSA 2026

Where It All Began: Primary 4 at NK Robotics

Evelyn’s robotics journey started in Primary 4 when her parents were looking for an enrichment programme that would challenge her beyond the classroom. “We wanted something that would build her problem-solving skills and keep her curious,” her mother shared. “When we found NK Robotics, it was exactly what we were looking for — hands-on, structured, and taught by instructors who really cared.”

Starting with the Tech Explorers programme, Evelyn was immediately hooked. “I loved that we actually built things — real robots that moved and responded to code. It wasn’t just watching a screen. It was like having a superpower.”

🤖 Competitions: The Turning Point

What truly ignited Evelyn’s competitive spirit was her first FLL (First LEGO League) season. “I was nervous at first — so many teams, so many impressive robots. But when our robot completed its first mission on the table, the whole team just cheered. That’s when I knew robotics was for me.”

Over the next few years, Evelyn competed in multiple FLL and WRO seasons, taking on increasingly challenging roles within her teams:

• FLL Discover Season — First taste of competitive robotics, learning the fundamentals of robot design and programming
• FLL Explore / Challenge Seasons — Progressed to programming complex missions, optimising robot performance, and contributing to the Innovation Project
• WRO Singapore — Tackled the autonomous robot challenge, refining her coding and strategy skills on the international-standard game mat

“Each competition taught me something different. FLL taught me how to work as a team and present ideas clearly. WRO taught me precision and strategy. Together, they built the kind of portfolio that stood out in the DSA application.”

💡 The DSA Journey to NYGS

When it came time to apply for secondary school, Evelyn knew robotics would be her DSA strength. “I chose NYGS because they have a strong STEM programme and I loved the idea of continuing robotics in a school that values innovation,” she explained.

Her NK Robotics portfolio told the story: multiple seasons of FLL and WRO, consistent competition experience across Primary 4 to Secondary 3, leadership roles within her team, and a genuine love for problem-solving. Her interview panel was particularly impressed by her ability to explain her competition projects and the engineering decisions behind them.

“The interview wasn’t scary because I’d already presented my projects to judges at competitions so many times. I just talked about what I loved — the robots, the code, the teamwork. It felt natural.”

What Evelyn’s Mother Says

“We considered several robotics schools before choosing NK Robotics. What stood out was the class size — small groups, real attention from the teachers. Every teacher knew Evelyn by name and pushed her appropriately. The progress she made from Primary 4 to Secondary 3 was remarkable. NK Robotics didn’t just teach her robotics — they taught her how to learn, how to persist, and how to shine. The DSA offer to NYGS is the result, but the journey was just as valuable.”

— Evelyn’s Mother

🔧 What Evelyn Learned at NK Robotics

Over nearly 6 years at NK Robotics, Evelyn progressed through the full programme pathway:

• Primary 4–5: Tech Explorers — LEGO robotics, block coding, foundational engineering
• Primary 6: Digital Navigators — Scratch, Python intro, first FLL season
• Secondary 1–2: CodeBot & PythonBots — advanced Python, sensor integration, competition strategy
• Secondary 3: Competition Team — FLL & WRO training, team leadership, portfolio development for DSA

“The progression was natural. Each level built on the last. By the time I was doing FLL, I realised I’d been preparing for this since Primary 4. The teachers at NK Robotics knew exactly how to get you ready for competition level — and for DSA.”

Advice for Parents Considering Robotics

“Don’t wait until Primary 5 or 6 to start. The earlier you begin, the more time your child has to build real skills — not just surface knowledge, but the kind of problem-solving ability that schools and competitions actually reward. And find a programme that cares about your child as an individual, not just a batch of students.”

— Evelyn’s Mother

Evelyn’s advice to younger students thinking about robotics:

“Just try it. Even if you’ve never built a robot before, even if you think coding sounds hard — just try a free trial class. I started in Primary 4 not knowing anything, and look where it took me. The hardest part is showing up. Everything else you can learn.”

— Evelyn Tan

Ready to Write Your Child’s Story?

Evelyn’s journey from Primary 4 to NYGS via DSA is not unique at NK Robotics. Many of our students have gone on to represent Singapore at international competitions, secure DSA offers at top secondary schools, and develop skills that will serve them for life.

The first step is showing up. Book a free trial lesson at any of our 4 campuses and let your child experience what real robotics education looks like.

📞 Contact NK Robotics today to start your child’s robotics journey — you never know where it might lead. 🤖