Chang Ye Sean

Hi! I am Ye Sean, currently 19-years-old and in the middle of my 5th semester in BSc(Hons) Medical Biotechnology (MBIO). My journey from high school to university was somewhat smooth, with some challenges in between, but a large part of why it was smooth; thanks to my parents. I am very grateful for them because they worked very hard to save enough funds to pay for both me and my brother’s tertiary education. My parents were quite strict when it came to academics. I vividly remember the times where I shared my subpar test results with my parents over dinner, and they would let out a long sigh and lecture me on the importance of studying hard. However, they balanced their 'lecture hours' with inspirational stories of their experience and achievements in the university, which motivated me to work hard.
 
#MySunwayStory began in March 2018 when I entered Sunway College. I graduated with a 3.92 CGPA, lower than what I expected because I was aiming for a 4.0 CGPA to hopefully receive a full scholarship to university. My teachers said anything short of 4.0 wasn't going to cut it. To my surprise, before the graduation ceremony, Sunway Scholarship Unit sent me a letter stating that I had received the Jeffrey Cheah Special Entrance Scholarship. It honestly felt like a miracle because I never expected to receive a full scholarship, and I really thank God for this opportunity to further my studies at Sunway University. In my first undergraduate year, things were a challenge because I was unsure about the reason I was studying MBIO. I was pretty much studying only to maintain my scholarship. I talked with my friends and parents about my situation, and they advised me to forget about the scholarship and focus on finding the reason, a purpose, for why I pursued MBIO. Coming into my second year, I found a purpose for pursuing MBIO and that helped me appreciate everything I was learning in uni. I no longer studied for the sake of studying, but I wanted to give my best to be prepared for my future career. In about 10-15 years down the road, I hope to work for organizations that seek to provide affordable healthcare to the needy, especially in underdeveloped countries.
 
After knowing my reason for studying, maintaining a scholarship became my second objective. As a teacher of mine once said, "Knowing the 'why' will help you find the 'how'". As a student, success to me isn't only about graduating with good grades or significant achievements in school. I believe it's about doing well through different seasons and different areas of your life, learning valuable lessons from each that carry forward to other areas or to the next season. Ultimately, higher education is just one season and one area of your life. Seek to find a purpose not just in your studies but in everything you do! This is #MySunwayStory.
 
Chang Ye Sean
BSc (Hons) Medical Biotechnology
Jeffrey Cheah Special Entrance Scholarship