Beating All Odds II

You would have read about the previous blog posts (here and here) about a Priya who beat all odds to score straight As in her UPSR examinations. But we all know that Priya isn't the only one doing that in Malaysia. The Star Education segment today covered a few stories about three different students facing their respective challenges in their life, and yet performed incredibly well for their education and school examinations. Read more about Hoe Sing, Moganesri and Nitiakaran.

The reason why I like to hear these stories and of course, to write and spread their stories (after all, how many of you actually read the Sunday Star Education segment?) is to instil the belief that no matter what the background of a child is, there is every opportunity for him or her to do well in education. And if they were to do well in education, that is the ticket for them and their families to break the poverty cycle and jump out from the poverty trap.

23 year old Hoe Sing, one of five siblings cared for by their rubber tapper mum for example, still remembers his late father’s words, which was told to him when he was in kindergarten.

“My father told me the only way to escape poverty was to study hard,” says Hoe Sing, who was born with a cleft palate and harelip.>

Hoe Sing worked very hard to improve his prospects via education. Hoe Sing is currently pursuing a degree in accounting at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman on a full scholarship after scoring 3As and a B for his STPM. And the spirit I like best about Hoe Sing:

“I intend to repay all the help I’ve gotten from everyone, not necessarily in monetary terms, but by doing what I can for others. When I’m financially stable, I plan to contribute as much as possible to society – that will be my way of showing everyone how thankful I am,” he says.

Moganesri also demonstrated that it's never too late to start the "serious" pursuit of education process. From no 'A' in PMR, to only 1A for her SPM, she scored straight 4As for her STPM.

“My life took a turn when I went to Form Six. I started to really enjoy my studies, which helped me concentrate more. I also decided that I had to set a good example for my younger siblings,” says Moganesri.

I wouldn't advise one to leave it to that late to "turn things around" though. I do believe that STPM is probably the "last chance saloon" for one to do well and gain entry into a reputable university, which unfortunately is critical in providing quality further education as well as markly improving career prospects post-graduation.

And finally to quote what Nitiakaran's mother constantly emphasized to him - "Education is the only wy to achieve a better life". Hear! Hear!