Fellows like Cikgu Loh inspired me to become a better person ever since. Having teachers that could spark great chemistry with the students (especially those in the B40 community) is bound to make a significant difference. It has lead me to representing the state at national level tournaments in archery since I was 16.
Throughout her lifetime, she has been guided by various Fellows in her school and with Project ID, such as Loh Chee Hoo ‘14, Kelvin Tan ‘12, Joyce Ching ‘12, Elizabeth Wong ‘14, Kamil Hakimie ‘14, Ang Chiew Teng ‘17, Ivanka Fam ‘17 and Sofea Hafek ‘19.
Chee Hoo is a 2014 Alumnus who graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia with Applied Statistics. He is currently involved with Project ID. Sofea Hafek is a 2019 Alumna who graduated from Cardiff University with a Masters in Science. She is currently working with Grab.
Under the mentorship of another Fellow Sofea Hafek, I could find a way to move forward again. She would tell me, “It doesn’t hurt to try, and what if things go well? We will never know.” Those words would help me believe in a tiny possibility that these “impossible opportunities” are not out of reach. After 4 restless months, 3 rounds of application process and holding on to good things in life, I managed to be selected as a successful candidate of the 2022 Global Korea Scholarship and will soon be pursuing Computer Sciences & Engineering in Korea.
My deepest love to those who supported me in this journey. One step at a time.
Then, in Form 4, I encountered Cikgu Brian. He was a 2012 Fellow, and was a dedicated teacher that saw and encouraged my potential in Mathematics. Cikgu Brian selected me for a Mathematical Olympiad, which became the first step of inspiration for me to take up accounting in Form 6. To sustain my studies, I continued working at restaurants during the weekends, and later achieved a 3.75 CGPA.
Shawn and Brian’s story was instrumental in the birth of Closing The Gap, a programme that aims to empower high-potential, underrepresented students with the knowledge, skills and mindset to enter universities and achieve their fullest potential. Closing The Gap has
impacted 284 Scholars from 65 schools nationwide to navigate the complexities of the post-SPM landscape and help them get into universities.
ANGLELINA AI JING SII 2015
Her best subject was art. She was a really remarkable artist - that’s what I know about her. Once, I really wanted to know more about her, so I asked her to tell me about her family. She refused to talk, so I asked her to draw. From the drawing, I knew that she had an older sister and a younger brother.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools were closed and I didn't have much contact with her. I still feel regret for not being able to make a bigger impact on her. Now, in 2022, Lisa is now in Form 5 and it’s her last year in school. The day before the Teacher's day celebration, she texted me saying " Teacher, thank you for all the stuff you have given to me all this while. I rarely go out of my house so I decided to draw something for you."
Most crocodile attacks incidents recorded in Malaysia took place in Sarawak, a state community where I was posted at during my Fellowship. With the support of Curtin University’s Office of Research and Development and the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM), I had assisted my students in designing a simple electronic signalling system that can be served as an alarm or early warning system to alert riverine community whenever crocodiles are detected in nearby rivers. The students were required to demonstrate their concepts and designs using Arduino electronic kits and basic programming. As a result, my students won the Gold award in this competition.
Throughout my school life, he would always provide students with lots of opportunities to explore outside of what we know, and see what's there in the world. Technology exhibitions, university visits and even just calling us out for lunch. Going the extra mile wasn't an easy thing to do, but whenever he sees a student's interest in something, he would do something for them. Beyond enthusiasm in teaching, he had a deep care for his students and wanted us to find what we love and give us an opportunity to explore.
Gan Jia Huey was a student of Zhi Xiong at SMK Puchong Batu 14. After high school, she pursued a degree in Psychology at Sunway University. Currently, Jia Huey is now a 2022 Cohort Fellow, teaching a school in Perak. She is the first student of a Teach For Malaysia Fellow who became a Fellow herself.
Earlier this year, I decided to choose a student from one of the weaker classes to be the squad commander for school sports day competition because I felt that the opportunity to lead was always given to students from the top classes. When I chose him, he was shocked and reluctant to take the lead, but he finally decided to give it a try.
I asked him, “Best tak dah menang ni?”
He said to me, “Mestilah best, first time ni saya menang.”
through our Fellowship programme, we became increasingly convinced that working with in-service teachers would be crucial in growing and sustaining our student impact. The perfect opportunity to do so emerged in 2019 when we learned that Yayasan PETRONAS was bringing together various stakeholders to create a programme for in-service STEM teachers.
Driven by the belief that the programme should be “by teachers, for teachers”, Yayasan PETRONAS invited 18 STEM
teachers to co-create the 2-year curriculum for Program Duta Guru together with industry experts, Pusat STEM and other MOE stakeholders. Teach For Malaysia was invited to facilitate the iterative process of developing and improving the core modules of the programme through a series of workshops in November 2019.
The PDG community currently consists of about 600 teachers and 160 SISC+ (school improvement specialist coaches) officers across 142 districts in Malaysia. With continuous input, feedback and support from our teachers and stakeholders, we make ongoing improvements to our programme in order to stay relevant and support our teachers in driving transformational student outcomes.”
-Jessica Lim, Director of Program Duta Guru.
- COHORT 2, PDG
It’s my belief that everyone should start on the same playing field. I took initiative to provide my students with basic necessities like pencils, books, and even socks, all to ensure that everyone has an adequate footing when learning in class. The fact that my students lacked these items was already a concern.
After my STPM, I had applied to many public universities to continue furthering my studies, but I was offered no placement. My only option was to enroll in a private university, something I tremendously lacked funds for. It was only with the guidance of caring individuals that encouraged me to apply for a scholarship, that I would go on to complete my business degree in a private university.
here, and without exaggeration, I feel like Teach For Malaysia is the best place that I have ever worked at. It’s become a second home, and I always miss the office when I am away.
I’ve learned a few lessons along the way - don’t take yourself too seriously, treat others as you wish to be treated, always observe with a long-term perspective, listen and consider everything as an opportunity, value your service and respect your peers, colleagues and most importantly stakeholders. It’s been a wonderful journey with a lot of challenges, commitment, and new learnings such as interpersonal skills and having a positive attitude.
Thank you. I cherish and enjoy every minute of it.
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