Shailashree Mohan
From doubting myself after SPM to receiving the Sunway-TFM Scholarship, my journey is proof that one setback does not define your future. Growing up in a family where money was always tight, my parents gave everything to ensure we had a shot at something better. And today, here I am, pursuing a Diploma in Information Technology at Sunway College, getting involved as a Sunway Student Ambassador, and learning from the best. If there's one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: never stop believing in your worth. Keep going, even when it’s hard, your time will come.
Hi everyone! My name is Shailla, and I am happily living my last teen years pursuing a Diploma in Information Technology at Sunway College. Since young, I’ve always possessed a curious and inquisitive mind; everything exuded allure to me, and my mind would always conjure endless questions about the things around me. In retrospect, my childhood was great; every moment seemed to gleam with bright joy. However, like many other families, I was oblivious to the numerous sacrifices that my parents had to make behind the scenes to make ends meet; money was always a looming concern over my family's head. Yet, despite that, my parents tried their best to ensure that my sister and I could live the best life possible, including having a quality education. Even though I was never an exceptional student at school, that didn’t deter me at all. My parents were never strict on my sister and me about grades, so long as we received a great education at school and grew up to be kind individuals. Good or bad results were just a natural component of the learning process.
During my secondary school years, my English teacher introduced me to the ‘Closing The Gap (CTG)’ programme. CTG aspires to empower capable students from the underprivileged community to actualise their potential; so they can have an opportunity to further their education at renowned universities all across the globe. By becoming a mentee under this initiative, I gained a plethora of knowledge and skills through the insightful mentoring given by my mentor, Miss Jinghann Hong. I will eternally be grateful to her and the programme. During this time, I also made a conscious effort to step out of my comfort zone and explore as many new opportunities as possible. I started actively participating in multiple co-curricular activities, such as being president of my school’s Interact Club. I even represented them in many competitions (Choral Speaking and Scrabble if you are curious 😉). Additionally, I started volunteering consistently as a Red Crescent Society volunteer in sports day events. Time flittered quickly, and by the time I was in Form 5, I had accumulated a reasonable amount of experience. But more importantly, I developed an image of what I wanted my future to look like.
Of course, one can never be certain with life and her caprices. The day I received my SPM results, all the confidence and hope I had in myself shattered; my results fell short of my expectations. Dejected, I made the regrettable decision of not applying for any scholarships, as my mind had been convinced that I would not succeed with my subpar results. Still, my CTG mentor introduced me to the Sunway-TFM Scholarship. So, I gave it a try. Still a little doubtful about receiving the scholarship, I enrolled myself in Form 6 education, which seemed like the best choice I had to lessen my family’s financial burden. However, colour me surprised when I was shortlisted for the scholarship! The interview session went smoothly, and soon on one eventful day, I received a fateful phone call — I was awarded the full Sunway-TFM scholarship! My heart perked with immense triumph, and never in my life would I forget how blessed I felt at that instance. Finally, I could wholly focus on studying what I was passionate about at a top-level institute without worrying about any financial burdens on my parents' shoulders; this was my opportunity to repay my parents back for all their continual support and love.
It has been over a year since I first came to Sunway College, and it has been an absolute delight studying at the #MostHappeningCampus. It is a well-known fact that Sunway has one of the best facilities, including the library, lecture halls, classrooms, cafeteria, and even the foyers. Furthermore, I am also a committee member of the Sunway Student Ambassadors (SSA). Through this, I have gained numerous experiences working behind the scenes in organising events. Lastly, I am forever thankful to have met innumerable supportive lecturers, fun classmates, and friends from my journey here.
Finally, to all of you reading #MySunwayStory, I hope that you never stop believing in yourself and keep trying to strive. Sending lots of positive vibes to each and every one of you, and I hope everything works out well on your end! Thank you ❤️
Shaillasree Mohan
Diploma in Information Technology
Sunway-TFM Scholarship
