MONOLISA
The bond between a mother and son is a special one that lasts a lifetime, people say.
For Visalatchi Suppiah, 47, and her oldest child, 18-year-old Gnaselvan Prakash, it’s also a relationship that extends to being poly mates.
The two are currently students of Nanyang Polytechnic, after Ms Visalatchi, a mother of three, decided to further her education and pursue a diploma in nursing. Gnaselvan is a first-year student in the common engineering programme.
Both enrolled at the polytechnic in April this year. Ms Visalatchi went directly to Year 2, having transferred from an ITE.
While children usually have reservations sharing school space with their parent, for this pair it was initially the other way around.
Ms Visalatchi, now in her second year of studies, said she was reluctant at first to study in the same institution as her son.
“I was afraid my presence would hamper his freedom,” she said. “But my son was very excited about it.
“I felt very shy sitting with children of my son’s age in class. It was weird, and I was once even on the verge of dropping out.
“But my son, his friends, my classmates and teachers all understood my hesitation and fear, and they made sure I didn’t feel alone. Their love and encouragement keeps me going.”
Gnaselvan said his mum is also like his “best buddy” now, and he enjoys their daily routine of travelling to campus together in the mornings.
“It’s quality bonding time,” he said. “My friends are fond of her too.
“My mum got along well with her classmates and my friends within weeks of joining. She also surprised everyone by picking up Gen Z slang rather quickly.
“Talking to her these days feels like talking to my friend.”
Ms Visalatchi, who got married in 2001, quit her marketing job when she gave birth to her first child in 2005. She became a housewife thereafter.
“Usually a woman’s world shrinks after having children. I was like that too. It was only after my children grew up that I felt I had lost my identity,” she said.
When all three of her children began school, Ms Visalatchi realised that she had time to rejoin the workforce, and she began working at a school canteen.
“I wanted to spend time with my kids. I chose to work in a school canteen so that I could also have a break during the school holidays,” she said.
One day an elderly customer asked her: “You look like an educated woman, what makes you work here?”
The question made her reassess her life.
During the conversation, the man also referred her to a nursing home that was looking for caretakers.
“The job fuelled my interest in the health sector,” she said.
After a few months of employment, Ms Visalatchi enrolled in the SkillsFuture programme to learn the fundamentals of the healthcare industry. She began working as an assistant nurse at National University Hospital in 2020.
“Caring for patients every day was an immense joy. I no longer believe that people work only to make money,” she said.
Constantly striving to improve herself in the field, she continued her nursing studies at an ITE, before earning good grades and subsequently, admission to Nanyang Polytechnic.
This coincided with her eldest son completing his O-levels.
“It’s crucial to realise our identities in life,” said Ms Visalatchi. “Women frequently lose a sense of their capabilities as they devote more time to their families, but we should keep working towards our goals.
“If families witness our dedication and enthusiasm, they will quickly get to understand us.”
