At the recent grand graduation ceremony for the students of the Canadian International Matriculation Programme (CIMP), a pre-University course at Sunway University College, valedictorian Kristy Tan Wei Shia, 19, not only made a compelling speech but impressed with her atypical career decision, to be a secondary school teacher.
The seeds for this inclination were planted when Kristy had to guide a Youth Group in her church one day. “I realised that I enjoyed the classroom environment and I like the challenge of making teaching fun in the pursuit of helping people better themselves” said Kristy.
Kristy will soon be making her way to Deakin University in Melbourne to pursue a degree in Secondary School Teaching. She is planning to teach English and the Social Sciences. Someone who inspired her to the join the teaching profession was her English teacher in the CIMP, Ms Elizabeth Ford who also introduced Kristy prior to her making her speech.
Kristy had this advice for her peers in her speech, “I challenge you to challenge what Bernard Shaw once wrote, ‘Youth is wasted on the young’ by looking forward and intentionally choosing to live your life every day. Don’t let anybody look down on you just because you are young but in your youth, seize its courage, its vigour and its spunk to do amazing things. Each one of us is capable of that as it’s not so much the size of the deed that counts as it is the heart from which it comes.”
Another student, Jodhi Putra Atmaja from Indonesia received the Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr.) Jeffrey Cheah Award and was nominated for the Governor General’s Academic Medal. Jodhi’s results stood tall amongst others and he also received four subject awards in Geometry & Discrete Math, Chemistry, Physics and Introductory Calculus. Not surprisingly, Jodhi has set his sights on pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering.
Cheryl Ann Robinson, who hails from Calgary, Canada, received the Programme Award and a Subject Award for World Issues. Cheryl, who slips easily into a Malaysian accent when speaking with locals, has been living in Malaysia for the past seven years with her family. Cheryl intends to pursue Political Science and has applied to Dalhousie University in Canada.
The ceremony was graced by Mr Bez Babakhani, Counsellor, Political, Economic and Public Affairs, Canadian High Commission.
Leave a Response