Corliss Phua graduated with a Bachelor of Communication Studies degree (Honours) from Nanyang Technological University. Subsequently, she obtained a Post-graduate Diploma in Education from National Institute of Education.
Prior to joining SOTA, Corliss taught General Paper at Serangoon Junior College for four years where she developed student-focused and innovative teaching resources to meet the rigour of the GCE A level syllabus, and provided developmental supervision for new teachers. She was also a Staff Training Officer with the Training and Development Division in the Ministry of Education where she was involved in rolling out the Professional Learning Communities Programme for educators in Singapore schools.
Corliss has a keen interest in the arts, especially music. She was a clarinet player in her school band and is a fan of musicals.