Local radio DJ Chen Qijia has revealed that she dropped out of school at 16.
While it “felt like the end” at the time, the 33-year-old ultimately realised she had “found a different path forward”.
In a social media video on Sunday (Sept 6), the Yes933 DJ talked about the experience, attributing her decision to “attendance issues, anxiety around school and a difficult home environment”.
In the post, she wrote: “The heart of my story: Dropping out wasn’t giving up. I simply found a different path forward.”
Describing herself as a “quiet, shy and well-mannered student”, Qijia had decent grades growing up but struggled with school attendance.
“For a very, very, very long time, I had this unexplained fear and anxiety about going to school. In the morning, I would wake up with heart palpitations or I would even feel nauseous just at the thought of going to school.
“On top of that, no one really knew what was going on at home. I was living in a very emotionally volatile environment,” she said, adding that the police and ambulances would also show up at her home on “more serious days”.
“As a teenager, I couldn’t really figure out what was going on, much less know how to express it to anyone, tell anyone about it or seek help.”
‘Felt like I couldn’t really fit’
In Secondary 4, Qijia’s principal had to remove her name from the school system, telling her that he could not justify her enrolment because of her poor attendance. It would also set a bad example to other students.
“The school did what they could to help me but it was a personal struggle and somehow, at that point in time, I felt like I couldn’t really fit into that mainstream environment,” she said.
While her principal had said he would try to keep a spot for her if she ever decided to return to school, Qijia felt like her world had “shattered in to a million pieces” when she left.
But that did not mean she was giving up on her education.
With the help of her church community, Qijia said she “fought against all odds” and took her GCE O-level examinations that same year as a private candidate. She scored 16 points.
Qijia then furthered her studies at Temasek Polytechnic and also pursued a degree in Chinese Language and Literature Studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
“At that point in time, I was working and studying (at university) at the same time because I had to support my own education.”
Her undergraduate studies had to take a back seat as she was offered the opportunity to host a radio night show and her classes would clash with the show’s timing.
However, she intends to return to university.
When Qijia heads back to school, she’d like to study psychology or counselling.
As for her fear and anxiety about school, she said that it faded away with time.
Qijia, who occasionally visits schools to conduct sharing sessions as part of her work, said that it feels like a “full circle moment for me to be able to go back and give”.
She joined Yes933 as a part-time radio DJ in 2019 and later took on a full-time role. She currently hosts weekday radio programme The Shuang, Kunz, Jia Trio from 4pm to 8pm.
Earlier this year, Qijia was hospitalised after suffering a bacterial infection caused by internal bleeding.
She was discharged after three days and “10 bags of drips” and given three weeks of hospitalisation leave. She returned in time to attend the Star Awards 2026 on April 19.
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esther.lam@asiaone.com
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