Natasha binti Abdullah
“An opportunity arose when I discovered the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation scholarship. I still recall vividly how triumphant I felt when the Sunway Scholarship Team relayed to me about securing the scholarship. What once felt so elusive and out of reach, like a distant dream, was now placed firmly in my hands, and I could not be more grateful for it. ”
Hi, my name is Natasha, and this is #MySunwayStory. I remember the first time I stepped onto the Sunway campus; it was way before my first day on campus as a student there, actually. I was still in secondary school, and it was for an essay-writing competition. But I felt immediately gravitated toward my environment. As filled as my mind was with preparations for writing, it was even more filled with thoughts like, “Could I imagine myself being a student here?” Yet, I loved it there, although I was still an outsider. My mother had also asked me the same question; she was awestruck by how striking everything and everyone was on campus. Never in a million years could I imagine myself as one of the students walking to class, studying in the bright and cool library, or just hanging around with friends on campus.
I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue my education even further; it’s what I believe in doing for myself and what my mother has constantly been pushing for since young. But considering the state of our finances, with my mother being a single mother, it was hard to manifest my aspirations into reality without placing a tremendous burden on my mom and my family.
Right before sitting for my SPM, I found myself again on the Sunway campus, this time for a scholarship interview. Sunway already felt like home to me at that time. Although I managed to secure a partial scholarship, I still had no idea what to do after SPM. With COVID-19 and the lockdown taking over, my wish to further my studies became distant and out of reach. But, an opportunity arose when I discovered the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation scholarship. I still recall vividly how triumphant I felt when the Sunway Scholarship Team relayed to me about securing the scholarship. What once felt so elusive and out of reach, like a distant dream, was now placed firmly in my hands, and I could not be more grateful for it. Grateful that I have seized the chance to continue my studies without burdening my mom, grateful to have the privilege to focus one hundred percent on my studies, and grateful to finally call myself a Sunway student. My dream had finally been actualised, yet it felt like life was just beginning anew, a brand-new chapter unfolding before me.
I am happy to say that I had a wonderful experience as a Foundation in Arts (FIA) student at Sunway College. I met many great people and accumulated many new skills and experiences. But most importantly, I’ve been learning so much that a new person stood in for me: a more well-rounded and confident person by the end. I am immensely thankful that I have had the opportunity to continue my studies further here doing my BA (Hons) in Communication. Sunway’s generosity in allowing and giving me the chance to experience all of this and more in my future is something I will never be able to forget, and I am beyond excited to discover even more things ahead of me. If you’ve ever felt like giving up on your journey, remember that the light will always find its way to you and that you’ll always find a way to reach it even if the going gets tough. Education is one the most important things you can equip yourself with in life, and you should always grab every opportunity you come across. So dream big, trust yourself, and always persevere no matter what; I promise that you will always find your way through.
Natasha binti Abdullah
BA (Hons) in Communication
Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Scholarship
