9As in the bag and they qualified for matriculation

Gold stars: Kaveen (left) and Shailashree are happy to receive their awards in George Town. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Juggling studies, hobbies and athletic pursuits can be daunting but Kaveen Rajan figured out a way to do it all.

He bagged 9As in his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and got into the government’s matriculation programme.

The 18-year-old said he realised it was the small things that counted when managing his time.

“Scrolling through social media channels on my phone after school was what took away the time I could use to study.

“Once I stopped, I found that there was really enough time in a day to do it all,” said the former SM Bukit Jambul student.

He was one of the two recipients of gold medals awarded by the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) for SPM top scorers on Saturday.

Kaveen said while he did expect to do well he did not think he would score straight As – 8A+ and one A. “I especially did not think I would do well in Additional Mathematics,” he added.

“It was a pleasant surprise but I did have good guidance in school and tuition as well.”

Kaveen was accepted into Penang Matriculation College in Kepala Batas and has set his sights on pursuing a degree in computer science.

Joining Kaveen with the same results was K. Shailashree from SM Convent Green Lane.

“In the beginning, I did not put in much effort into my studies but closer to the exams, I ramped it up. I probably could have done more,” said the 18-year-old.

Shailashree said she too did not think she would do well in Additional Mathematics.

“I qualified for matriculation but decided to join Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to do a foundation course as I want to become a dentist.

“I have always been inclined towards working in healthcare as my mother is a doctor,” she said.

Each of them received a medal, a laptop and RM500 from PHEB.

They were joined by 65 other Indian students on the island from 14 schools who were given RM500 each from the board.

Last month, 100 Indian students on the mainland who scored 7As and above were awarded the same in Nibong Tebal.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who graced the event on Saturday, shared that it was the state and Federal Government’s goal to continuously emphasise on education, especially for those who have completed their SPM.

“We want to make sure those who excel in their studies manage to get into the matriculation system and higher education institutions in the country,” he said.