VIRTUAL TOUR
2012
1 NovBuilding a Bridge to Success
Kuala Lumpur - In today’s globalised world, it is imperative for job-seekers to be equipped with the necessary qualifications – even with the ever-rising costs of higher education – to ensure that they do not lose out in the rat race.
By awarding scholarships and other forms of financial assistance to prodigious students, the UCSI University Trust and the University ensure that they are given an opportunity to achieve their professional dreams.
As exceptional learners with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) above 3.90, three brothers – namely, David, Dan and Daniel Soo – tell their story of how their lives have taken a turn for the better.
“My family consists of my younger twin brothers (Dan and Daniel) and my mother, who is the sole breadwinner.
While she receives a moderate monthly income, it would not have been sufficient for our university education,” says David, a scholarship recipient of the UCSI University Trust.
“During our school breaks, we help out at our mom’s office by delivering letters and assisting with other administrative tasks,” he explains, adding that he is now able to pursue his degree in Chemical Engineering at the University thanks to the scholarship.
“We’ve experienced some hard times, which is why my mother strongly encourages the three of us to work as a team and to achieve our goals with our own ability,” says David, who hopes to be a successful chemical engineer.
“Back in secondary schooI, I was very actively involved in clubs and activities, and didn’t put enough effort into my studies. But since I was awarded this scholarship, I was inspired to turn over a new leaf and excel in various areas; in short, to be mature and responsible.”
In this regard, his brothers – both of whom are recipients of the UCSI University Trust Scholarship Award – echo his sentiment, and Daniel adds to the story by elaborating on his scholarship.
“Unlike David, I was mostly in the top five during secondary school and didn’t encounter many problems with the teachers’ lessons,” adds Daniel – an aspiring actuarist – cheekily.
“When I successfully landed a full scholarship, I felt that I had to take greater responsibility to show that it was well-deserved,” says the first-year Actuarial Science degree student.
As for me, says Dan, I was disappointed with my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results as I did not perform as well as my brother – who scored 10 As – and was unsure of my possibilities in getting a scholarship.
After trying for a few (scholarships), he enthuses, I was ecstatic when UCSI University Trust offered one to me.
Now as an Accounting & Finance degree student and an aspiring accountant, he adds, I enjoy expanding my knowledge on accounting, stocks and bonds, to name a few, and am appreciative of this opportunity.
“Since coming to UCSI University, I’ve learned a great many things, in my studies and extra-curricular activities alike,” says David.
“I lead a weekly Peer-assisted Study Session (PASS) to a group of five to twenty students per class to help them tackle their academic difficulties and better understand the course content for various subjects through effective learning and study strategies.
I’m also the president of the UCSI Christian Fellowship,” he says, explaining that such roles have lent him leadership skills.
Like their brother, Dan and Daniel are equally active in the UCSI Christian Fellowship and the Student Council’s Judicial Branch, among other clubs and associations.
By excelling in both the academic arena and in extra-curricular activities, it goes without saying that these siblings are en route to fulfil their dreams.
Chasing his dream
Tiew Kee Yee is another excellent student that the UCSI University Trust has taken under its wing.
Despite being born with spinal muscular atrophy (type two) – a disease that causes his muscles to weaken – that confines him to a wheelchair, Kee Yee was awarded the Tan Sri Ahmad Razali Merit Scholarship for his academic excellence.
As part of the enrichment programme, all scholarship recipients volunteer their time for the University’s various industry-linked projects, which enable them to get real-life work exposure.
Kee Yee – who is currently pursuing the University’s Accounting degree programme – credits his lecturer, Dr Chong Aik Lee, whom he is assigned to for the enrichment programme for his passion in accounting, tax in particular.
“Dr Chong has been very generous in sharing tax-related knowledge and reading materials including reference books, government publications and articles with me.
So far, I have assisted Dr Chong in terms of organising and gathering data for his research projects– which are mostly audit or accounting-related; this is very relevant to my course.”
Apart from being involved in the University’s faculty projects, scholarship recipients like Kee Yee are strongly encouraged to join extra-curricular activities.
“I was one of the Accounting & Finance Student Association (AFSA) founders and also the club’s founding president. Together with the club’s vice president, we came up with its objectives, vision and mission, and events, to name a few.
Like any start-up, we faced many challenges along the way but we solved them one step at a time. To date, AFSA has registered 800 members,” says Kee Yee, proud that his successors were able to reap the fruits of his labour.
Equally active in competitions such as the Deloitte Tax Challenge and the OSK Investment Challenge in 2011 and 2012, Kee Yee proves that his disability is no barrier to achieving his dreams.
Notably, these scholarships have made a profound difference in the lives of these talented individuals by providing them with a platform to further their studies and therefore, empowering them with fundamental knowledge on the intricacies of the industry.
And by helping deserving students like Kee Yee and the Soo siblings overcome the financial barricade, UCSI University Trust enables them to be the best that they can be.
To find out more about our scholarship programmes, come and meet our course counsellors on our Open Days (22 – 23 Dec), give us a call at 03-9101 8880 or drop an enquiry at www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my/onlineenquiry. Visit us at www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my.
