Supriya A/P Sivabalan

The day of the scholarship interview was my second time in Sunway University. As I waited for my turn, I sat in front of the university’s extended foyer and soaked in the atmosphere. People-watching in this university is extremely entertaining, so much so that I highly recommend it. I observed loud groups of friends, students with an impeccable sense of fashion, club booths set up for marketing, the food served in the cafeteria and the people from literally all walks of life buzzing up and down.

“I have a chance to be part of this”, I silently thought to myself as I waited. After attending the interview, I headed back home to Penang. I applied for the Sunway Excellence Scholarship with extremely low expectations, as I have applied to a substantial number of external scholarships with no luck. I accommodated myself to the feeling of rejection. Hence, I had no reason to be hopeful and headed back to my hometown right after, not expecting to receive any news.

There was a point in my life when I almost gave up in reaching out for financial aid to support my tertiary education. However, I still pushed through every lengthy application process - writing all the requirement essays, updating my co-curricular experiences, taking online tests. I did it all with my parents as my sole motivating factor.

And guess what? This time, I finally got a breakthrough! I received a phone call the next morning that would turn my life around.

"Congratulations!” she chirped on the other end, and I was stunned in disbelief. It is truly a remarkable feeling to know that I secured this scholarship based on my own merits. My diligence contributed to the reason behind the smile on my parent’s faces. I felt blessed. The next day, I travelled once again to Sunway (yes, another 4 hour journey, 3 days consecutively). It was all quite a blur, to be honest, but I was excited to embark on my education experience in this new environment at Sunway University. I still cannot believe that I am considered a scholar and will not take this opportunity lightly. I will use it to further nurture and enhance myself as an individual.

Supriya A/P Sivabalan
BSc (Hons) in Actuarial Studies
Sunway Excellence Scholarship