Hani was studying Marine & Offshore Technology at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) when, during her internship at SembCorp Marine, an engineer friend showed her a pamphlet about Wavelink Maritime Institute. That was when she began to seriously consider sailing, a career that took her towards the deep sea, as opposed to working in the shipyard.

“The training allowance was attractive, I thought, as it enabled cadets to focus on the training rather than worrying about earning their keep,” Hani recounted. As the eldest of five children, she wanted to provide for her family, and the allowance enabled her to do that. It lightened her father’s load as the sole breadwinner.

As to deciding which programme to enroll in, there was no dilemma. “It was an obvious choice. I went for the Tripartite Engineering Training Award (TETA) program in 2018 and was prepared to take the engineering route. After all, I have the knack for electrical and mechanical work,” she reminisced, being the handyman at home together with her father, fixing things around the house.

Her family supported her decision to become a seafarer, but not without some concerns at first. The environment, the nature of the work, and prolonged time away from home were top on her parents’ minds. But this “daddy’s girl” takes to her job like a fish to water.