This nomination is five years overdue—but no less deserved.

I was placed on AICU at Queen’s Medical Centre as part of my nursing training. I had only completed one year of the course before going on maternity leave, and I returned feeling unsure of myself—anxious, overwhelmed, and deeply uncertain about whether I still belonged in nursing. I was assigned a mentor named Benjie Libo-on. What happened next changed the course of my life.

Benjie is the reason I chose to work at NUH and why I began my nursing career in critical care. His mentorship was more than just supportive—it was transformational. He showed extraordinary empathy and patience, taking into account not just my clinical inexperience but the challenges I faced as a new mother returning to the profession. He nurtured my confidence and competence with quiet strength, deep knowledge, and unwavering kindness. He saw me, he understood me, and he taught me how to believe in myself again.

Benjie didn’t just help me—he has shaped and supported countless students and new nurses over the years. His influence ripples far beyond what is visible day to day. He is a natural nurturer, someone whose quiet excellence leads by example and uplifts those around him. It is no exaggeration to say that the Trust is indebted to him—not only because of his clinical expertise and mentorship, but because of the very real impact he has had on recruitment and retention within critical care.

Benjie is the kind of colleague who embodies everything NUH stands for: compassion, respect, ambition, kindness, inclusiveness, teamwork, and, I must add, excellence. He inspires people to stay, grow, and give their best.

So even though this nomination comes five years later than it should have, I hope it serves as a lasting tribute to a man whose daily actions have helped shape a stronger, kinder, and more capable nursing workforce.

Thank you, Benjie.
For me—and for so many others—you were the beginning of something better.