I'm a 24-year-old straight-A student who has been obsessed with buses since childhood. I skipped college to work my dream job.

Mon, 11/06/2023 - 20:12

Matthew Tay standing in front of a line of buses from his time volunteering for a different bus company and gaining his bus driver's license. — Matthew Tay during his time volunteering for a different bus company.
Matthew Tay

Despite college acceptances, Matthew Tay, 24, skipped school to become a bus-operations supervisor.
The straight-A student said it's a misconception that working with buses is a dead-end job.
Our desire for paper qualifications can blind us to real opportunities, he added.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Matthew Tay, an operations supervisor in Singapore for Tower Transit, a local bus company. This essay has been edited for length and clarity. Insider verified his educational background, college acceptance letters, and employment details.