MR SAMUEL CHAN, who graduates from Singapore Polytechnic with a chemical process technology (food technology) diploma at the end of this month, has been running an online bakery set up even before he joined the school.
The 23-year-old was also conducting baking classes for his schoolmates while getting his diploma.
Now that he is graduating, he is homing in on the niche market for healthy cakes which contain no eggs, nuts, sugar and gluten.
He said: 'I do not want to be just another chef.
'With my diploma, I have learnt the science behind food, healthy recipes, new ingredients and new techniques.'
His five-year-old online bakery started out as a catalogue of items in his baking repertoire, which now also includes sugar-free confections for diabetics.
His final-year project involved creating a high-fibre roti prata using wheat-resistant starch containing soluble fibre.
He has applied for a degree programme in food technology with Massey University in New Zealand.
Another Singapore Poly graduate, Mr Jonathan Samraj, the top student in the diploma in information technology course, has also had a taste of selling his skills.
He set up his own information technology company at 16, and has since provided Web solutions and design services for 15 firms.
Making profits was not his priority, he said, adding that the insights into how different industries operated were more rewarding for him.
With 30 distinctions and As in the bag, he hopes to read computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology next.
Singapore Poly will send off 4,896 students next week.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on May 19, 2008
