SMU alumna Marie Luo harboured dreams of becoming a teacher in her university days, but after completing her business degree in 2011 she joined the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and became a senior assistant director overseeing productivity. But the “nagging thirst” to work with children did not go away. Much to her parents’ initial chagrin, she decided to quit her job last April to take up an early childhood training course. During the course at the Singapore Polytechnic, she learned about childhood development and numeracy skills, as well as providing an inclusive education. The course, fully sponsored by the Ministry of Education (MOE), also allowed her to learn under teachers with anchor pre-school operators. She joined MOE Kindergarten at Punggol View in January and teaches a class of 20 Kindergarten Two children. She now wants to further her qualifications and take a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education.