Samantha Ong Shu Wen

An average girl, from an ordinary family, with average grades, is how I would describe myself. I have never come out as exceptional at any particular point in my life, and because of this constant thought about myself, it actually turned into a jinx which greatly affected my self-esteem and expectations. I vividly remember the day I got my IGCSE results, I went online to check my results and to find myself achieving lower grades than what I had expected from trials. At that point, I knew it was no crying matter, even though tears were rolling down my cheeks. Not only had I fallen short of my peers, but I had also fallen short of a few As to obtain the Entrance Scholarship. Then, I thought to myself that never am I going to obtain a scholarship in this lifetime. From then on, I just went on with life as per usual, because things that are done cannot be altered and I just had to move on no matter what. But my view started to change after the first semester of my foundation year. So just like any other student, I worked towards achieving my next target, the Jeffrey Cheah Continuing Scholarship, and to my surprise, all my hard work in that year paid off. I miraculously obtained the Continuing Scholarship to pursue my degree in Accounting and Finance here at Sunway University.

Seeing that I have stabilized in terms of my grades, I decided to move a step forward to apply for the Sunway Student Ambassadors (SSA) Committee. However, I did not expect to find myself being offered a position in the Buddies department in SSA. Still, I accepted the offer almost immediately, because it was definitely the time to say yes to new experiences. I am honored to have met this group of amazing individuals who genuinely care for each other and are always ready to lend a helping hand whenever needed. They are the ones who guided me through my experiences outside the classroom. Most importantly, they are the ones who push each other to exceed what we are capable of; bringing the best in every one of us, which is truly a bunch of friends, or should I now say family, worth embracing.

The present Samantha is someone who strives to do beyond expectations, whether on her own or together, and always has her head held high, with a bright smile on her face, because everything is going to be okay, everything is going to be alright, everything will go as planned. As a child, it is okay to fall, but what matters is getting back up on your feet and get moving again. Always remember, stay disciplined, and be patient, because everyone has time to shine. It doesn’t matter even if the light comes out a little later because just as much as the finishing line is crucial, what matters most is the journey. I am Samantha Ong, and this is #MySunwayStory.

Samantha Ong Shu Wen
BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance
Jeffrey Cheah Continuing Scholarship