The ambition of pursuing one’s studies in a field of their choice is one that many students hope to turn into reality upon bidding farewell to high school. But the reality of the cost of higher education means that not all families are able to afford to fund their children’s academic aspirations, leaving many to either make compromises or put their dreams in the back-burner.
Taking to her social media account, local student Ms Choong Li Xian recently shared the challenges that she has faced in that aspect, after revealing that she had successfully gained admission into some of the world’s most prestigious universities in the world.
M’sian student gains admission into Cambridge, UCL & University of Edinburgh
Currently pursuing a major in International and Strategic Studies with Universiti Malaya, the 21-year-old hails from a modest background and attended public schools throughout her life.
However, she made the most of out of her circumstances and managed to obtain an incredible 4.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) upon completing her STPM. Hoping to take her education journey a step further, Choong promptly applied for placement in the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, as well as the University College of London, to complete her undergraduate degree.
Much to her surprise and delight, she was accepted into all three universities.
The joy was unfortunately short-lived, as the daunting task of financing her studies loomed overhead.
“I’m just stunned rn. I’m B40, gov sch the whole way, STPM 4.0, and I’m happy to announce I’ve been offered a place at Cambridge, UCL and Edinburgh. I’ve applied for scholarships already and asked for jpa but so far no luck. Please help this anak Malaysia make Msia proud!” she wrote.
Hailing from humble beginnings
Speaking to WauPost on the matter, Choong explains that she lives in what she describes as an ‘unstable’ household situation, and faces the risk of domestic violence when at home.
Her time in high school has not proved to be without its challenges either, as she would be struck by illness attributed to Topical Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome during her Form 5 studies and wound up missing a lot of school, which consequently caused her SPM grades to suffer.
“I had no other avenues except Form 6 after that, so I took STPM. There was a lot of pressure to perform well for my STPM because it was like my last chance to get into a good institution for higher education,”
Even then, Form 6 proved similarly difficult in general as its reputation suggests, which was only further exacerbated by the global Covid-19 situation at the time. During her first semester, Choong adds that her illness also caused her to miss another period of her term.
“I didn’t have a lot of support academically at home either as my home life was turbulent.”
STPM students are just as capable
While she has managed to gain admission into Universiti Malaya, Choong admits that her ultimate goal was to land a place in Cambridge, and says that she was encouraged to try applying overseas owing to her outstanding STPM results.
What’s more, she wanted to challenge common rhetoric and prove that STPM students could also stand their own ground just as well as students from other programs.
As of present, she has had no luck acquiring a scholarship from the Public Works Department (JPA), and has already applied to the Kuok Foundation Scholarship for assistance. She is also in the process of submitting her application for the Maybank Foundation Scholarship and the Biasiswa Selangor Menteri Besar, while awaiting on a pending decision from the Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust.
Majoring in social sciences, Choong aims to jump-start her career in a relevant field such as diplomacy, which she points out can be expanded into other areas such as trade negotiations.
“I wanted to give myself the freedom to navigate more spaces career wise, with consideration to my interests.”
Ultimately, she hopes to serve the country through a role in civil service and set her sights on a Masters degree, if the opportunity presents itself in the future.
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