'Treetop student' not getting blown away by new-found Internet fame

KOTA KINABALU: Despite her video posted on YouTube which went viral, Veveonah Mosibin says “there is nothing to be over-excited about” and

Her video, which was posted on her “Veveonah M.” YouTube channel, has since garnered 342,000 views on Wednesday (June 17) – and rising fast

It depicted the length of the efforts the Universiti Malaya Sabah student went through to ensure good Internet connection to be able to sit for some online papers, including spending the night in a tree and almost getting stung by a hornet.

READ ALSO > 5G? What about the 4G digital divide?

“This is new for me but I just keep calm and go with the flow – nothing to be over-excited about, ” said the 18-year-old from Pitas, Sabah who has been inundated with requests from the media as well as calls from telecommunication companies expressing their wish to help.

Veveonah receiving an excellence performance award after her UPSR.

It appears Veveonah is quite an achiever – she obtained five As in her UPSR exam and eight As for her SPM.

Additionally, as seen in her videos, she is able to make a ladder using nothing more than branches and plants, crack open a coconut with just a sharp rock, her teeth and hands as well as many other interesting things.

Asked about these skills, Veveonah said she had been learning these from her parents and other people throughout her life.

“I learnt all these from my parents and those around me, ” Veveonah said, adding she likes to observe and learn new things on her own.

“We don’t have television, electricity or water supply and I guess that is why my hobbies are different from others, ” Veveonah said.

She added that her relatives and neighbours who have electricity in their homes would always be her “target” when she needs to charge her handphone or when she needs electric power.

Veveonah also said that her family's main source of water supply is the rain as well as from other relatives.

She added that she spends a lot of time helping her parents in their orchard, carrying out tasks like planting, harvesting and rubber tapping as well as finding time to study when she can.

Veveonah said that living in a village and helping her parents with their orchard is her choice – but added that she believed it is the effort that counts when one is trying to achieve a dream.

“Where there is a will, there will always be a way. Chase your dreams and work hard to achieve what you aim for, ” said Veveonah.

Meanwhile, her former teacher from SK Pekan Pitas, Ruby Ronarita said she remembers that Veveonah was a highly dedicated student who was never shy to ask teachers for advice.

Veveonah (front row, second from right), and fellow prefects in SK Pekan Pitas.

“I was a counsellor in the school and she would always come and ask me how to excel in her studies and even sometimes ask me Math questions, ” she said.

Ruby said that Veveonah's language was better-structured compared to many of her friends, even when she was 12 years old.

“What we teachers here remember most about her apart from her good grades is her politeness and great attitude, ” added Ruby.