Royal Education Award For UPM Grad With ‘Weak STPM’

SERDANG, Oct 15 (Bernama) — Having been refused entry into university because her STPM was weak, was no deterrent to Elmy Talip, 28, from wanting to obtain a degree.

She pursued a diploma course at a private college and managed to get into Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on a Majlis Amanah Rakyat scholarship.

To earn income, she took a job as part-time waitress at a shop in the university.

Despite her involvement in association activities and other university programmes, Elmy did
not stray from her aim to be the best.

Her hard work paid off…and more.

Not only did she obtain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.922, the Anugerah Pelajaran Diraja (Royal Education Award) was hers for the taking!

She received the award from UPM Chancellor, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, at the 35th UPM Convocation at the university campus here today.

The second of 11 children, Elmy told reporters her key to success was to concentrate on what her lecturers had taught her.

Meanwhile, single mother Norul Haida Reduzen, 32, was jubilant that she finally fulfilled her ambition of getting a Doctorate in Philosophy in Bahasa Melayu.

Mother to a six-year-old girl, the lecturer at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris recalled how during the first year she was forced to travel from Tanjung Malim to Seremban and back, because she could not obtain study leave.

“I was eventually granted the study leave by the education ministry, and it motivated me more to succeed with excellence, no matter what.

“So, I studied as hard as I could, while dividing my time between my daughter and other commitments. Thankfully, my efforts bore fruit,” said Norul Haida who obtained a 3.9 GPA.– BERNAMA