Loss of Father No Obstacle to Winning Chancellor’s Gold Award at UTP Convocation

PARIT: Losing her father to COVID-19 at the age of 18 did not deter Lim Mei Zhen from pursuing education to improve her family’s circumstances.

Her sacrifices and perseverance paid off when she received the Chancellor’s Gold Award at the 26th Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Convocation Ceremony here today.

Mei Zhen, 23, the third of four siblings from Bahau, Negeri Sembilan, said her father’s passing had a profound impact on her life, particularly at a time when she still needed family support to continue her studies.

Making matters more challenging, the loss of someone she depended on forced her and her siblings to adapt to a new way of life before they found stability when their aunt and uncle took them into their home.

“The love and sacrifices of my aunt and uncle became my source of strength to continue my studies until I successfully completed my Bachelor of Civil Engineering with Honours, graduating with First Class Honours,” she told reporters at the 26th UTP Convocation Ceremony here today.

She said her elder brother’s success in obtaining a degree despite financial constraints also inspired her to pursue higher education.

According to Mei Zhen, seeing her brother graduate despite financial difficulties motivated her to continue her studies at the bachelor’s degree level.

“In addition, a full scholarship from Yayasan UTP enabled me to complete my five years of studies without being overly burdened by financial difficulties.

“Thank you to Yayasan UTP and all the contributors who sponsored my education. With their assistance, I was able to continue my studies and achieve excellence in everything I pursued,” she said.

After completing her studies, Mei Zhen hopes to begin a career in the financial sector while repaying the kindness of her aunt and uncle, who provided tremendous support when her family was facing hardship.

“I want to work hard to repay their kindness, particularly by helping to cover the cost of my aunt’s knee surgery,” she said.

UTUSAN MALAYSIA