Hard work pays off for Asean scholars

Rewarding: Studying in Singapore is a dream come true for (from left) Horstann, Cheah and Bernard.

“IT isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out, it’s the pebble in your shoe.”

For Bernard Lim Wee Shan, this quote from boxing legend Muhammad Ali serves as pertinent advice on staying focused on one’s goal.

“It reminds us that the more we can identify and address the pebbles, which are the problems and distractions, the more we can focus on the climb and achieve the goal we have in mind,” he said. “You need to set a goal,” he emphasised.

Bernard himself has certainly heeded the advice as he was among three Cambridge A-Level graduates from INTI International College Penang who were recently awarded Singapore’s Asean scholarship to pursue their bachelor’s degrees at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in the island republic.

Describing studying abroad as a “truly rewarding experience”, the electrical and electronic engineering student is seizing the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends from all over the world.

He added that living away from home has given him the impetus to be more self-reliant.

“I have to fend for myself, buy my own meals, do my own laundry, but it will all be worth it. I am learning to take more responsibility for myself and transition to adulthood,” he said in a press release on March 8.

He shared that making his parents proud is his greatest source of motivation.

“Seeing them work hard every day to help me pursue my dream moved me deeply. My goal is to make sure that I can provide for them in the future and that they can take it easy after all that they have done for the family,” he said.Horstann Ho Rui Yao, who obtained 4A* for his A-Levels at INTI, said he constantly pushes himself to work twice as hard as his peers.

This led him to winning silver at the 4th International Economics Olympiad 2021, where he was one of only five students chosen from across the country to represent Malaysia.

Currently pursuing the Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science programme, he takes online courses like Harvard’s CS50x to further develop his computing skills and explore various interdisciplinary applications in computer science.

“I believe these complement what I am learning at NTU and unlock a much larger world of opportunities. I’m extremely keen to apply data science in interdisciplinary spaces such as economics and finance, a combination that I believe holds enormous potential and continues to pique my interest to this day,” he said.

He added that as a child, he was always enthusiastic about learning and exploring.

“I was constantly dumbfounded by abstract mathematics and inextricable problems, and was amazed that there were legitimate solutions for all.

“With each new chapter in the subject, I unfolded a new facet of reality which reframed the way I saw a problem,” he said.

Horstann recalled being extremely anxious as he and his parents awaited the outcome of his scholarship application.

As part of the rigorous selection process, applicants were screened based on academic, extracurricular and leadership strengths, as well as a personal statement on a given topic.

“Only a small number of candidates were then invited to the final stage of the selection process, which was an interview,” he said.

“I am happy and excited to have received the offer because it will relieve my parents’ financial burden, allowing them to better provide for my two younger brothers and allowing me to pursue a master’s degree in future,” he added.

Civil engineering student Cheah Chun Jie, another Asean scholar, expressed feeling rewarded for the effort he had put in.

“Doing all those essays by the deadline while keeping up with my coursework was a crazy amount of work and stress. Now, I am beyond thankful that all the hard work paid off,” he said.

Cautioning prospective scholarship applicants against memorising the facts or the script they had prepared beforehand for the interview, he said, “Speak confidently and express your point of view in response to each question. Finally, there is a question and answer session; remember to ask at least one question to the instructors to demonstrate your enthusiasm.”

The student, who has his sights set on obtaining a Professional Civil Engineering licence one day, shared that he lives by Norman Vincent Peale’s advice, which is: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

“My family, especially my parents, is important to me. I want to always aim for the best, and give my family and parents the best life they deserve,” he said.