She was a nurse by training, working at the pediatrics ward of Mount Alvernia Hospital for three years after graduating from the University of Sydney. He was an engineering computer science major from the Nagarjuna College of Engineering and Technology, Bangalore, India.
Given their completely different backgrounds and social circle, their paths were highly unlikely to meet, till she decided to sign up for the Graduate Diploma in Systems Analysis Programme (GDipSA) at NUS-ISS. Together, they were part of the GDipSA 40th batch and the rest was history. In this season of love, read on, as we got the scoop on an exclusive campus couple story that blossomed here.
1. Describe your NUS-ISS experience:
Rubenna: My lecturers were very down to earth and helpful, attributing to the many good experiences at NUS-ISS. As my bachelor’s degree in nursing were mostly ladies, I would never, even in a million years, imagine finding my soul-mate through my study years. It is truly a shock when both of us ended up together married.
Deepu: It was a shock for you. (laughs) I am so glad to have found my better half at NUS-ISS and yes we both are married now, with great careers and I allude it to my supportive family and friends and the NUS-ISS programme. Besides being mesmerised beyond studies, the course was very well designed with innovative teaching methods.
2. Why did you choose to enter the IT industry or what triggered the decision to change your career?
Rubenna: I wanted to blend my nursing background with new IT knowledge. It was a major switch for me. When I realised that IT systems in the medical world can be improved, that triggered the decision for me to take on the NUS-ISS GDipSA programme to find out how I can help end users and better my field.
Deepu: I was always interested in computers and really a family guy. When I found out that NUS was one of the top universities around the globe and not too far from my home country India, I decided to heed my father’s recommendation and take on the GDipSA programme here in Singapore.
3. What do you think distinguishes the GDipSA programme from other similar programmes?
Rubenna: My passion has always been in healthcare and I wanted to tap on my prior experience in nursing to help doctors and nurses. GDipSA programme is a perfect springboard for harnessing both experiences in my previous domain with current IT knowledge to give me a competitive edge in just one year.
Deepu: Yes! One year is enough time to know someone too (laughs). Jokes aside, the programme is only one year, including an internship. Hence it captures the essence of what is needed to be equipped for a career in IT. Besides the hard skills we were taught soft skills which was what makes it such a great career conversion programme in such a short span of time.
4. Share some fun facts about each other back in the day:
Rubenna: I was horrible in programming back in school and I guess that was where all the magic happened as my husband is a natural developer. He helped me out with programming and I helped him with project management, which is what I excelled at. We would stay late at NUS-ISS to study together for exams. Those were very memorable times.
Deepu: Even today, being in a similar field of work, we have a good understanding of challenges we face in each other’s workplaces and are able to share mental support and solutions to resolve them.
5. What were some of the learning points from your internship which you can apply to your current job?
Rubenna: Through hands-on experience, I became more familiar with the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). It is difficult to grasp real-life issues and obstacles only through school projects. The internship helped me understand from a users’ point of view when potential issues arise.
Deepu: Project management methodologies is a great skill set I learnt while interning at Keyfields technology which I can still apply till this day.
6. Do you remember which class or module that you and your husband first met. Was it love at first sight?
Deepu: My first impression of her, which she would say the same, was that of a 
potential best friend. Fast forward to June 2019, two of our closest friends from
NUS-ISS attended the traditional wedding in Kerala, India. It took us a while to get the whole family together on this special day and when we did, we had 2,000 guests that day!
Rubenna: It was not love at first sight. I recall it was during Mr. Venkat’s practical class where I first noticed Deepu and his coding skills.
7. What future courses at NUS-ISS would you consider taking?
Rubenna: The Professional Diploma in Smart Health Leadership, offered by the Smart Health Leadership Centre looks like a promising course that might help me upgrade my career to a leadership role.
Deepu: I plan to be an IT architect and will explore the executive education programmes to upskill myself.
Rubenna is now a Healthcare Consultant at T-Systems Singapore working on health care solutions handling major SAP-ISH and ishmed projects. She enjoys making a difference in the life of patients and easing the work of healthcare employees. Deepu is a Senior Software Developer at Total eBiz Solutions Pte Ltd and takes delight in automating and transforming business capabilities.
Register here for the upcoming GDipSA info-session and be part of our 52nd intake.