Lee Yu Bei
“Being a happy-go-lucky person, I rejoice in every little moment. There are definitely challenges in life, but I view them as opportunities for growth.”
Hello everyone and welcome to #MySunwayStory! I am Lee Yu Bei, 19 years old and pursuing a Diploma in Interior Design at Sunway University. I was raised in a single-parent family with a dim recall of my father. People all grow up in different places, around different people, and under different circumstances, all of which affect their lives differently. This happened to five-year-old me when my dad suddenly left us. Consequently, my mum was forced to take the role of sole breadwinner in our family of 3 children. Growing up in a single-parent household, I never had my own study area. Thus, this instilled the burning desire to have my own study room, even if it's just a small corner. Soon, this desire would burn stronger and eventually blossomed my passion for interior design. Suppose I can acquire a knowledge of interior design; in that case, I believe I can also transform people's lives to cherish their living quarters.
During my high school years, I was a mentee in the "Closing The Gap" programme, a non-profit organization aimed at helping underprivileged children from disadvantaged families achieve the possibility of higher education. Throughout their whole program, I knew that the Sunway Education Group was very generous in offering various types of scholarships. My mentor, Miss Chow Shenn Kuan, a Sunway alumna, fervently encouraged and supported me in applying for these scholarships. She was right; I won't know what I'm capable of if I don't try, and this brought forth my emotional journey of ups and downs.
Being rejected from several scholarships gradually shattered my confidence as I knew my future lay in the world of interior design. But education was the most powerful weapon we have to change the world, and I recognised the need for it to start my journey. Nonetheless, I never gave up until one day... I received an email from Elena Cooke Education Fund informing me that I had been selected as a Sunway scholar. Words could not describe my jubilance as I jumped around in my room like a dog with two tails. I hadn't let down my family, especially my mentor. This scholarship has changed my life; without it, I would not be pursuing my dream but working full-time instead to ease my mum's burden.
The atmosphere captivated me when I first stepped into Sunway University; I couldn't believe I would be a student here soon. Facilities are the most important thing for any student at a university, and Sunway University has surpassed all expectations. I love the spacious library that allows us to work on our assignments or just chill around in a quiet and cosy setting. Whenever I get hungry while studying, I can just walk out for a few minutes and be presented with various restaurants. Everything is at our fingertips. I am immensely grateful to be a Sunway scholar; without their generous support, I would not be the person I am today. The Sunway Education Group provides many scholarships and bursaries, so if you're reading this, check out their page because they're very generous in providing different scholarships. Bear in mind the roots of education are bitter, but the fruits are always sweet. Every challenge, every adversity, contains within it the seeds of opportunity and growth.
Lee Yu Bei
Diploma in Interior Design
Elena Cooke Education Fund
