Get to know our Dwi Emas IGCSE High Achiever with 9 A*s, Joe Chew Thong Yao

A long time ago, Joe sat for a math exam, got the right answer, and then wrote out “I used my brain” as his math working. It didn’t earn him a single mark.

It’s a memory Joe recalls when asked to share a story in his journey that he’s proud of overcoming. When he first arrived at Dwi Emas in 2020, Joe was a curious kid with an unconventional worldschooling background, and almost no idea how to sit a formal exam. He failed one soon after arriving. Six years later, Joe holds the highest IGCSE score within his August 2025 intake group.

The “click” for him didn’t happen overnight. Ask him what made the difference, and the answer isn’t one teacher — it’s a community. His Biology teacher, Teacher Azlyn, who built a Grade calculator system helps him gauge his exam readiness. An ICT teacher, Teacher Desmond, who was never more than a message away, even over Chinese New Year, is always ready to answer his questions. An Economics teacher, Teacher Chandrika, who cleared his last doubts in person, days before the exam. And Principal Ivan who, despite Joe still not knowing his times tables, helped him learn to think in patterns instead of forcing his way through math problems.

Outside the classroom, he had a range of passions: event emcee, rapper spreading his ocean-conservation message, 3D-printing and CAD designer since age 8 (taking on private and corporate clients) and fashion designer behind the ocean-themed “Eye Sea You Coral Sneakers.”