Rekha Naidu A/P Sathia Jeva Naidu

As a child, I was always told to dream big and reach for the stars. I used to think about it a lot. What does it really mean? As I was growing up, the only interpretation of dreams that stuck with me is a pure expression that my parents told me, "dreams are good; it makes you hopeful, but remember dreams mean nothing if you don't back it up with persistent hard work." I had a dream of studying accounting and entering the business world. When I first said it aloud, the challenges of it just came jostling down. "Business is a man's world.", "Which course do I apply to?". The blatant truth was that I knew nothing about accounting and business. Due to the existing financial burden my parents had, I felt it was unattainable. All I had was a dream.

While I was hooked up with all-thing business, I did not have any clear path to walk after my high school as I was financially incapable. I was hesitant at first, but with my parent's encouragement, I applied and was called for an interview. Instead of asking me about all the business knowledge I had stored, the interviewer asked me about my extracurricular activities, citing what intrigued them. It was then it hit me that academic results are significant, but one must always explore and develop other skills as well. At that moment, I felt appreciated. I always thought that participating in debate competitions and holding leadership positions was overwhelming and got in the way of my studies. After all, character building is essential.

Weeks later, I successfully received a partial scholarship and entry to the foundation program of one of the most prestigious professional accounting body, Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales (ICAEW). Upon receiving my SPM results, I was granted a full scholarship for my foundation under the Global Accountants Scholarship ICAEW- Sunway TES. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to be accepted and better still being offered a scholarship. I was glad that I did not give in to my fears and am incredibly grateful to Sunway College for their financial aid. If it were not for this scholarship, I would not have been able to study this course that is a milestone in achieving my dreams. My experience here in Sunway has been nothing but rewarding and fulfilling. Here, not only do I have the best of lecturers and friends, but I was also encouraged to give back to my community in any way I possibly could.  And for me, it is through Sunway Student Ambassadors (SSA) our very own, scholars-run body. In a nutshell, failure was not my worst enemy; fear was. And because of that, I hope #MySunwayStory inspires another dreamer to follow their dream persistently and attain their heartfelt dreams.

Rekha Naidu A/P Sathia Jeva Naidu
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
Global Accountants Scholarship ICAEW - Sunway TES