Scholarship a lifesaver for students

Grateful: Yen Qin (left) with her mother Ang at the award ceremony in MCKL.

FINANCIAL challenges can pose a major setback for students aspiring to pursue their tertiary studies.

With the inaugural Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) Excellence Award Scholarship 2022, six school-leavers have been granted a ticket out of their financial plight.

Marissa Haley, Wong Yue Qing, Tiffany Chiu Ke Sheun, Vanessa Chong Yi Wen, Jonah Yip Mathivanan and Mok Yen Qin were presented with the award at the college’s Brickfields campus on Jan 14.

“I was really surprised when I was contacted about receiving the award. It was really a meaningful gift to me, as I can now help lessen my family’s financial challenges.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has affected our income for almost two years now,” said Yen Qin in a press release.

The 18-year-old, who scored 2A* and 6A in her International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations, is now pursuing the Australian Matriculation programme at MCKL.

Her parents, who used to operate a travel agency, have turned to running a home baking business due to disruptions brought on by the pandemic.

“I’m grateful to MCKL for giving my daughter this opportunity. This award is truly a blessing to my family as I highly doubt that she would be able to continue her studies if not for this scholarship,” said her mother, Ang Soak Pheng.

Award recipient Yue Qing expressed feeling “a huge weight lifted off my shoulders” after being selected for the scholarship.

“It is a great advantage for my family and me,” said the 17-year-old, who scored 5A* and 3A in her IGCSE examinations and is now pursuing the Cambridge A Level (CAL) programme.

Her father, Wong Yik Hong, shared that his restaurant business had been severely affected by the pandemic.

“My restaurant was not able to operate for dine-in for over a year. This generous gesture from MCKL will surely impact us positively and motivate us to keep moving forward,” said the single parent of three.

Another recipient Tiffany, 18, said the award has boosted her confidence and given her motivation to excel in her studies and personal development.

Her mother, Chong Chiou Tyng, said the family has been experiencing financial issues since her cancer relapsed in 2020.

“Now, my husband and I are truly assured that our daughter can finish her A Level in MCKL without financial worries,” she said.

Speaking at the award ceremony, MCKL chief executive officer Angela Pok said the scholarship was established to provide deserving students with quality education to achieve their aspirations.

“We are glad that this scholarship will help many students and their families in years to come as the pandemic and other economic issues have posed challenges for individuals to further their education and achieve their dream careers,” she said.

Introduced at the end of last year, the MCKL Excellence Award Scholarship serves to offer financial aid to Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and IGCSE school-leavers who excel in academics and extracurricular activities and have proven themselves as exceptional role models.

Applications for the scholarship are open for eligible students who wish to enrol for the upcoming intake.

MCKL will be launching its first branch campus – Pykett campus in Penang – this year.