A CHANCE remark at a Shell NXplorers Malaysia event once seemed an unlikely prospect to Sai Natth Rau Gopinath Rao.
When told that only a few participants typically go on to become Shell Scholars, he recalls thinking, “I can’t be that one in a million.”
Today, the 19-year-old is a Shell Scholar.
Now undertaking the A-Level programme at Kolej Yayasan UEM, that transition, from being part of a Shell NXplorers runner-up team to Shell Scholar recipient, reflects what the programme sets out to achieve: equipping young Malaysians with the tools, exposure and confidence to go further than they imagined.
From runner-up to scholar
Sai Natth’s own journey began at SMK Aminuddin Baki in Kuala Lumpur, where he and his team – Team JAM – built an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered attendance system.
He said that the project was born from noticing a simple, everyday problem, utilising vehicle registration recognition technology to enhance attendance tracking, school safety and communication channels.
“We started observing problems around us, specifically the congestion outside our school gates after hours,” he recalled.
“I asked my own transport driver whether this was a problem for him and whether a solution to it would be beneficial, and he was so excited to hear that we were working on something to address it.”
Team JAM went on to place as first runner-up at the Shell NXplorers 2023 Peninsular Malaysia Challenge, a result that, in hindsight, was only the beginning for Sai Natth.
He credited the programme with sharpening his skills beyond mere technical competency.
“I’m a strong believer that ‘good ideas are only good if people believe in them’, and the way to make people believe is through communication,” he said.
“Shell NXplorers exposed me to pitching ideas to industry-level judges who are experts in their fields, so I had to learn to be more persuasive and articulate my ideas.”
Those skills helped carry him to national and international recognition in debate and public speaking, including a place on Malaysia’s World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championships team.
Last year, that journey came full circle when Sai Natth was awarded the Shell Scholarship, joining the next generation of youth innovators supported by the company.
“Honestly, it means the world to me (receiving the scholarship). I remember a programme staff member telling me, ‘I want to see you as a Shell Scholar one day’, and I just laughed it off, thinking I wouldn’t get it,” he said.
“Looking back on my transition from a Shell NXplorer to a Shell Scholar, it’s such a magical thing.”
As he looks ahead, Sai Natth hopes to work at the intersection of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and communication, leveraging his technical expertise and creativity alongside his exceptional communication skills.
“So many great ideas are left to die because the people behind them aren’t able to present them in a way others can believe in. With my STEM knowledge and ability to communicate effectively, I hope to bridge that gap,” he said.
He added that students hoping to break into STEM should not get bogged down in technicalities, but rather focus on the discovery aspect of innovation.
Building confidence, one step at a time
Behind every Shell NXplorers success story is a teacher willing to make the space for it.
At SMK Vivekananda in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Physics and Mathematics teacher Afiqah Khalid has spent two years guiding students through the Shell NXplorers programme and has watched them transform into more confident young individuals.
“At first, I felt like my students were not really confident in speaking or presenting their ideas – they always depended on me to help them.
“Now, in their second year taking part in the programme, I can see that those same students can work independently to solve problems with confidence. Some of their ideas are even better than mine!” she quipped.
Afiqah, who also heads her school’s STEM club, said Shell NXplorers stands out because its ambitions extend beyond the classroom.
“Shell NXplorers has a lot of tools, and they are not just for critical thinking and problem-solving.
“They also highlight how students should present their ideas and communicate better. As I entered the working world, I realised how important these skills really are for their holistic development,” she said.
With many of her students coming from B40 households, she added that the programme also acts as a rare bridge to the world outside of the classroom.
“In the modern era, a lot of other students are already very advanced. My students need this type of exposure to the outside world, and I believe that every student should have the opportunity and space to explore,” she said.
Shell NXplorers Malaysia
Shell NXplorers is an education programme by Shell Malaysia under the company’s global STEM education and social investment initiative.
Backed by the Education Ministry, the programme challenges secondary school students to solve real-world problems by applying STEM principles.
They are guided by Shell personnel to identify problems in their own communities, develop innovative solutions to address them and pitch those ideas to industry judges against their peers from across the country.
From a student participant turning into a prominent scholar, to a teacher watching her students find their voice one project at a time, Shell NXplorers continues to prove that its real currency isn’t the innovative prototype, but the person it helps build.
For more information, visit https://www.shell.com.my/about-us/sustainability/communities/shell-stem-programme.html.
