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“No, cannot. You must get a degree first.” That was what my parents said when I told them I wanted to be a pilot. They weren’t against the dream – they just didn’t want me to start working without a degree to fall back on. So I made them a promise: I’d get my degree first, then apply to the airlines. For as long as I can remember, I had built my life around flying. I graduated from polytechnic with a near‑perfect GPA in Aviation and Business, convinced I was finally ready to head for the cockpit. But first, National Service. I jumped at the chance to apply for the Air Force, hoping it might lead to a career in aviation. Instead, I failed the medical assessment due to a minor condition – the criteria were much stricter for the military, as compared to commercial flying. I completed my two years of service and went on to pursue a degree in Business and Marketing at the National University of Singapore. Determined to keep my promise to dad, I took classes every semester with no breaks, finishing my honours degree in three years instead of four. I thought I was speeding towards my dream – but the timing could not have been worse. By the time I graduated in June 2020, the world had changed. Covid-19 hit, the aviation industry froze, and that path was no longer realistic. Peers who had joined airlines ahead of me were laid off one by one. Clearly, I was not going to be a pilot. I also couldn’t find a job related to what I studied in university. So, I started over. Software engineering felt like a good next step. I had no coding background, and honestly, it felt like starting from zero. I spent weeks learning on my own, studying university textbook that I had borrowed from friends. I applied what I learnt to build my first portfolio website, and it helped me secure an SGUnited traineeship with DBS later that same year. From there, I joined the DBS Skill Enhancement Education & Development (SEED) programme, which led me to a full‑time job at DBS as a software engineer in 2021. The learning curve was steep. There were times I wondered if I – a self-trained engineer – really belonged. Over time, I realised that no one really has everything figured out – you just keep learning, keep trying, and slowly get better. Today, I work on cross-border payments systems, building backend services that support real transactions across countries. It’s a space where things have to work – not just in theory, but in real life. As the systems grew, I started using AI tools to help with testing, debugging, and validation – the repetitive parts of the work – so I could spend more time thinking through design and solving more complex problems. I think of AI as a useful co-pilot – it can reduce toil and execute my commands, but it doesn’t replace judgement. At the end of the day, it’s not just about the code. I ‘m still responsible for where things go. I’m still the one flying the plane. Expanding into new markets means thinking about people, regulations, and how everything comes together in one, balanced ecosystem. It’s been a long journey, and I’m currently pursuing a Master’s in Analytics at Georgia Tech to deepen my understanding of data and decision-making. Looking back, things didn’t turn out the way I expected, but they turned out in a way I’m grateful for. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and for where this flight path continues to lead. – Derek Ang, Application Developer (Remittance), DBS #HumansofDBS