DREAM COMES TRUE
Gritty lad ecstatic about pursuing his degree in the US
ZAHRATULHAYAT MAT ARIF SERI ISKANDAR zahratulhayat@nst.com.my
WHEN Tan Hann Hsen could not walk until the age of 4, his parents sensed something was wrong with their youngest child.
Tan was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder that left him wheelchairbound.
But that did not deter Tan, 18, from excelling in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination last year.
Tan was among 353 students selected for the Petronas Education Sponsorship Programme (PESP) yesterday.
Tan said it was a dream come true when he received an email from Petronas, as he had been dreaming of working with one of the top oil and gas companies in the world.
“I could not believe my eyes when I saw the email.
“One day, I want to contribute to Petronas and my country,” said Tan, who will pursue an American degree programme at Taylor’s University before flying off to the United States.
Tan, who wishes to be an actuary, said he dedicated his success to his father, Tan Sau Eng and mother, Diong Hoe King, for their sacrifice.
The grant was presented by Petronas executive vice-president and chief executive officer (upstream) Datuk Mohd Anuar Taib at the Chancellor Hall of Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) here yesterday.
Present were Petronas Group Human Resource Management senior vice-president Datuk Raiha Azni Abd Rahman and UTP Vice-Chancellor Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Hashim.
“Today, you will be walking in the footsteps of over 36,000 recipients,