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When Charlene Tan Rui Xian found out she’d been awarded the Singapore Police Force Scholarship (SPFS) and President’s Scholarship – making her the first female recipient in the history of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) – her immediate reaction wasn’t elation. It was disbelief.
The enormity of the moment quickly gave way to something more grounding – a sense of purpose: “Realising I had the opportunity to make an impact on the Force and its mission, I’m better able to process the privilege and duty that come with this scholarship.”
An Unlikely Calling
As a child, Charlene never imagined herself in the Police uniform. It was only in secondary school, when she began reflecting on what she truly wanted to dedicate her life to, that a conviction to join the SPF began to take shape.
“I recognised that I felt most aimless when unsettled by injustice that I was powerless against,” she says. “This gave me a renewed sense of purpose: to act against injustice, fight for what’s right and make the empathetic choice.”
The more Charlene engaged with the criminal justice system – its officers and the people it touched – the more certain she became. She recalled reading about the rise in police reports on offences related to family violence when the COVID-19 circuit breaker began in April 2020 – she knew people who were in difficult home environments, and not being able to be there for them was upsetting to her.
Closer to home, Charlene’s grandfather fell victim to online scams twice. Watching him lose not just his hard-earned savings, but his dignity, to faceless criminals– that stayed with her. All these experiences made her realise the importance of keeping pace with evolving crime trends.
As the first person in her family to join the Force, Charlene knew that her decision might draw worry from those closest to her. But their concern turned to steadfast support as they watched her push through the strict requirements of the scholarship application process: “Because of them, I’m more confident in myself and focused on my direction and goals.”
Tested and Transformed
As an SPFS recipient, Charlene underwent six months of training with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), which included Basic Military Training, a short stint at the Officer Cadet School and the Jungle Confidence Course in Brunei. Having never been part of a uniformed group in school, she felt apprehensive at first, but came out of the experience a different person.
The training pushed her to her limits and also reshaped how she understood resilience: “Trusting your team is vital to making it through circumstances which you can’t manage on your own.”
Most importantly, it reinforced a belief she now holds firmly: “A vision to serve is something that must be achieved together, not alone.”
Serving with Head and Heart
Charlene is currently in her first year at Pennsylvania State University, reading Forensic Science (Chemistry) – a degree she sees as closely aligned with the values that matter most in policing.
“Beyond its scientific elements, this degree strengthens my grasp of different criminal justice systems in the world; their significance and their blind spots,” she explains. “It trains me to analyse crime critically whilst retaining my empathy for those it affects – a quality that officers need.”
She’s particularly focused on cybercrime and sexual crimes as growing areas of concern, and hopes to contribute not just to investigative methods, but also shaping how enforcement practices evolve alongside a rapidly changing world.
When asked about the kind of officer she hopes to become, Charlene’s answer is telling.
“I want to keep my feet on the ground,” she says. “Empathy is a quality that bleeds into every case we take on; every interaction we have in uniform; every person we reach out to.”
And for others who are keen to serve, Charlene has these words of encouragement: “Explore every path open to you – and if the pull to serve only gets stronger, then the Force might just be where you belong.”
To find out more about SPF scholarships, click this link: www.police.gov.sg/scholarships
