VIRTUAL TOUR
2016
30 JulUCSI University celebrates 29th Convocation Ceremony
Happy receiving the Chancellor’s Gold Medal Award from Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Abdul Rahman Arshad.
Happy sharing a moment with her brother Hong Kar Lam (left), mother Yeoh Lee Kiang (second from left) and boyfriend Steven Neo (right).
Charis celebrating with her doting parents, Peter Wong and Annie Poh.
| KUALA LUMPUR: It would be easy to give up when life repeatedly deals you hard blows, especially when the next is always more catastrophic than the last, but Happy Hong Jia Wen refused to stay down. Suffering from severe financial constraints, completing her university degree seemed like a dream that would cruelly never come true but today, Happy graduates with first class honours and the Chancellor’s Gold Medal Award – which honours a graduate who demonstrates excellence in study as well as outstanding personal attributes in the face of adversity. Raised in a single-parent family, Happy went without parental guidance for the first eight years of her life when her mother decided to work abroad to earn a better salary. This was the first of many deprivations that poverty would inflict on her. When their financial situation did not improve, she was urged by her mother – who also noticed that she did not like school very much – to start working after Form 5. That moment was her awakening. “I realised that if I did not seek a higher education, my opportunities will always be limited and I would spend the rest of my life struggling to make ends meet,” said Happy. “I didn’t want that for myself or for my family. I believed that a good education would lift me up, away from the cycle of poverty.” She enrolled in UCSI in 2010 but financial constraints tightened its chokehold and she was forced to halt her studies to procure a job. She traversed the skies with Singapore Airlines as a flight attendant but her heart remained set on getting her feet back on the ground and obtaining her degree. After two years, she did just that. “A lot of people were against my decision,” shared Happy. “They thought I was making a huge mistaking by leaving a job that was offering such a decent pay but I knew what I wanted, and that was to learn more and grow.” She returned to UCSI armed with her hard-earned savings and for a while, all was well. Then fate blindsided her with the toughest trial yet: her mother was diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. Overwhelmed with worry for her critically ill mother and the medical expenses incurred, Happy thought that she would again be forced to put her studies on hold but she made one last rally. “I told myself that I didn’t work so hard and study so long only to give up now,” she said. “I am going to keep going no matter how difficult it may get and I will see this to the end.” And she did. Happy graduated at the top of her class with the BA (Hons) English Language and Communication. With her degree in hand, she is now charting a promising career in Singapore and believes that she will finally live a life worthy of her name. “The first step towards achieving success is recognising that life doesn’t become easier,” she said in her address. “Instead, we have to grow stronger and make up our minds to be better than yesterday.” Happy’s success is matched by that of the valedictorian, Charis Wong Yi Huey who graduated with the BSc (Hons) Food Science with Nutrition. A bright and caring young lady who wanted her career to revolve around improving the lives of others, her tertiary education was made possible with a scholarship from the UCSI University Trust. “As food and health are directly related, my degree would equip me with the knowledge and skillsets to improve quality of life,” said Charis, who aspires to tackle the critical problem of malnutrition in third world countries one day. And she has already been preparing hard for that day. Charis has been to China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and the Philippines on humanitarian and education-related missions. She has volunteered with AIESEC for education programmes, championed community development through the UniYouth initiative and reached out to orphans. She also played a number of integral roles in the University’s Christian fellowship. The many commitments on and off campus did not derail her academic performance. In addition to graduating with first class honours, she has made the Dean’s list thrice and won accolades including the prestigious Canadian governor general's academic bronze medal. In her valedictorian address, Charis urges her fellow graduates to measure up to ideals larger than themselves. “There is a lot going on in the world and we must realise that our lives are not meant to just revolve around ourselves. Let’s step out of our comfort zones and be the change that the world needs.” Charis herself isn’t planning on wasting much time. She has already begun making plans on how she can work towards her goal in serving the needy. Currently, she has her sights set on the World Health Organisation in hopes that the international health agency would accord her the opportunity to reach out to the underserved, whether in other countries or in our backyard. Reflecting on her time at UCSI, she remembers her lecturers for their steady guidance and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. “I would like to thank each one of them – especially my supervisor Ms Carolyn Loong – for inspiring my generation with their love and dedication.” She also credited the University for equipping her with the complementary competencies that she needs to shine. “Apart from core knowledge, I learned many other skills at UCSI that are just as critical like leadership, teamwork, communication and problem or conflict solving. When I look back at the person I was during high school and the person I am now, I see two completely different individuals. I believe I have grown and matured a lot during my years here at UCSI, and I am confident that I am well prepared to face the future.” Happy and Charis were among the 2,567 graduates who threw their mortarboards into the air during UCSI’s 29th Convocation Ceremony, a two-day event attended by its Chancellor, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Abdul Rahman Arshad and Vice-Chancellor and President, Senior Professor Dato’ Dr Khalid Yusoff. The ceremony this year is celebrated in conjunction with UCSI’s 30th anniversary. In his speech, the Chancellor said, “The scroll that you have received today bears the significant weight of three decades of academic innovation and excellence, of education that has been rigorously developed and refined over the years. This knowledge is now yours so go forth boldly. Take another leap for mankind.” | |
