Realising dreams through awards

Sunday September 18, 2011

Realising dreams through awards
By KANG SOON CHEN, ALYCIA LIM and AMINUDDIN MOHSIN
educate@thestar.com.my

These students have different stories and struggles, but their unwavering spirit to learn and succeed has earned them each a scholarship.

IT HASN’t been easy for Joash Lim Yong Choon. Apart from taking on a temporary teaching job, he also has the added responsibility of looking after his younger siblings and doing household chores.

Despite his attempts to help out, it has been a trying period indeed to watch his mother, a single parent, struggle to manage the finances with four children, two of whom are pursuing tertiary studies.


That’s my boy: Joash being congratulated by his mother Rajamani and siblings Euvina and Joel (right).
“My mother works hard to make sure that our monthly bills are paid on time and that our daily needs are taken care of, so it is a relief now that I have been awarded a scholarship to pursue an accounting degree in Universiti Malaya,” said the 19-year-old.

His mother Rajamani A. Ramasamy was overjoyed saying that the study award from the Star Education Fund would help ease her financial burden. Her eldest child is already studying chemical engineering at a local univeristy.

It was also a moment of celebration for the family as they came together to toast Joash’s success in attaining the scholarship at a ceremony to present the awards.

The second of four siblings, Joash said the knowledge he gained in accounting would come in handy in helping his mother plan the family’s finances and higher education for his younger siblings.

Another happy student at the ceremony was Ong Chi Hao who received a scholarship to study nutrition at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (Nottingham Malaysia).


Meet the emcees: Dinesh and Grace kept the audience entertained and even shared their own experiences
The 19-year-old considered himself as a “very lucky recipient” as he was not shortlisted for the first round of the interview.

He was determined to get a scholarship and Chi Hao wrote many e-mails to Star Publications (M) Bhd events and The Star Education Fund manager Susanna Kuan.

“I panicked when I wasn’t called for the interview but I quickly appealed telling them how passionate I was about the scholarship and the course,” said Chi Hao whose father works as a tow-truck operator.

“Getting the scholarship means a lot to me and my family and I believe it is the same for the other scholars too. I value the scholarship and I will certainly work hard at the university,” he added.

Both Joash and Chi Hao were among the 154 recipients of the award this year. More than 2,600 students have received scholarships from the Star Education Fund since its inception in 1994.

Thanking its partners-in-education for their contribution, Star Publications (M) Bhd group managing director and chief executive officer Ho Kay Tat said he hoped that the awards would be developed into “full” scholarships covering living expenses for the students, in the near future.

“Over the past 40 years, The Star, has played a meaningful role in educating all segments of society. We are committed to improving lives through education and knowledge,” he said.

Being a long-term partner-in-education, INTI International College Subang associate vice president (academics) Philip Tan said: “We believe in transforming lives, and this fund is an opportunity to improve the lives of the young people as it gives them a chance to pursue tertiary education.”

He added that deserving students should be given the chance, adding that award recipients should work hard and be active in college activities to receive a “well-rounded” education.

UCSI University Foundation chief operating officer Margaret Soo said that the institution was proud of their scholars and hoped to receive more in the years to come.

“The foundation has been supporting this education fund for the past 18 years, and will continue to do so because of the tremendously good talents it attracts who become a part of UCSI’s excellence,” she said.

Nottingham Malaysia provost and chief executive officer Prof Ian Pashby said that contributing to the Star Education Fund was part of the university’s corporate social responsibility programme in making world class education available to the less fortunate students.

“We have been very impressed with the quality of the fund’s scholars so far. They have been committed to their studies as they understand and appreciate the opportunities given to them.”

Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Faculty of Communication, Media and Broadcasting associate head Joana Jaya said that the institution believed in helping students who wanted to succeed in life.

“We want to give every student a chance. We have observed that the fund scholars have all been active on campus.”

Meanwhile, Sunway University’s public relations department senior manager Jerrine Koay said that those who benefited from the scholarship should contribute to the institution in any way they could.

The Star Education Fund 2010 recipient Dinesh George Lourdes can attest to how the fund had paved the way for him to pursue his ambition.

The 19-year-old is closer to his dream of majoring in broadcasting at HELP University. He even had the opportunity to be master of ceremonies at the event.

Together with co-emcee Grace Tan, who was one of last year’s fund recipients, the duo kept the audience entertained and shared how the scholarships had brought about a positive change to their lives.

“I didn’t do that well in SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) and I wasn’t confident that I would get a good course if I chose to study at a public university.

“Getting the scholarship was really great because it has allowed me to follow my passion. I also did not want to burden my mother who had single-handedly raised my sister and me,” said Dinesh.

As for Grace, it was hard to believe that she was the wayward student that she claimed she was in secondary school.

“I would eat in class and not pay attention to the teachers,” said Grace.

“After going to college, I began to get serious about my studies because of the good influence of the people around me. I still eat in class from time to time though,” quipped the 19-year-old.

Tunku Abdul Rahman College students Navindran Vijayakumar, Wan Kah Chun, Darwindaran Thinakaran and Esther Loh Xin Wey entertained guests at the ceremony by performing Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Together We Are One and You Raise Me Up.

Also in the spotlight during the event was Nurul Rafhana Mohamad, 14, the youngest recipient and A-levels student at Methodist College Kuala Lumpur.

She had fast-tracked to college as she started primary school in Brunei Darussalam when she was five and had continued her studies in an international school when she returned to Malaysia.

“None of this was on purpose though. My parents did not expect me to finish my secondary schooling by the age of 14,” she said.

Nurul Rafhana was nevertheless grateful to have been given the chance to pursue higher studies