Engineering whiz at Ngee Ann Poly can fix anything -- but struggles to mend self-doubt
Meet Brandon Yap, a 20-year-old electrical engineering student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
He recently won gold in the WorldSkills Singapore Mechatronics competition.
In a Stomp interview, Brandon described mechatronics to the average layman, as "mainly automation, when factories design automation lines, and smart factories using fewer humans and more robots.

Brandon's passion first began when he started wiring lightbulbs in secondary school, and he continues to tinker with different technology as a hobby today.
"I like wiring motherboards and picking things apart, like traffic lights or simple conveyer belts, which I buy from Taobao," he explained.
His family treats him like an in-house technician, which he is more than happy to be.
"When a lightbulb is broken, I fix it. When a doorknob is spoiled, I will be called."

Despite his talent, Brandon admitted that self-doubt is his biggest struggle.
"When things don't go my way, I start doubting myself.
"Am I really fit to do this? Am I smart enough to do this? I doubt myself when there are people better than me."
However, in times of doubt, Brandon remembers words of advice his lecturer gave him.
"A champion always focuses on himself instead of on others," he recalled.
"When the competition got closer, I felt like giving up every day, as there were more problems that were harder to solve.
"But I told myself, I have already reached this stage, it is only right I persevere and earn something out of it."
Brandon stated that one of his greatest strengths was his resilience and persistence even in difficult situations.

Like many other people his age, Brandon is still unsure about what he wants to do in the future.
"I don't really have a fixed target, but this is a path I wish to pursue, to maybe become an engineer," he said.
"My biggest goal would be to create a project that makes people's lives more efficient, through green tech or smart infrastructure."
Lastly, Brandon offered a word of advice to other young people with big dreams.
"Don't be afraid to fail, as every mistake we have made is a lesson, and every struggle we have gone through will be a part of our growth."
View more photos in the gallery.
