High-achieving valedictorian
“BE bold, be courageous and be your best in order to live a life you will not regret,” said Class of 2018 valedictorian Tai Mei Chyi during the Nilai University convocation ceremony.
In addition to being top of her class, she was actively involved in curriculum activities. She was Nilai University Table Tennis Club president and organised the Table Tennis Open Tournament 2017.
She was also the proud champion for three consecutive years in the Masiswa Zon Selatan Games, where her team won the mixed doubles champion in 2015, women’s singles champion in 2016 and Team champion in 2017.
Her academic achievements include publishing a paper entitled “Practical Application of Balanced Scorecard – A Literature Review” in the Journal of Strategy and Management (Volume 5, No. 3, pp. 87-103). Besides this, she was also the Ikemi International Business Festival 2017 chairman.
“Over the past few years, there may have been days when we felt that we could not continue and yet we all did. The fact that we are now in our robes is a clear sign that we have indeed succeeded. The dream has become a reality; we have become graduates of Nilai University,” Tai said in her valedictorian speech.
“There is no doubt that Nilai University has provided us a holistic education with its well-structured programmes. The specialisation in the curriculum has helped us become knowledgeable and competent in our respective fields while the general education component has helped us develop our communication, teamwork, critical thinking and organisational skills.
“This is what I believe differentiates us from graduates of other institutions. I would like to thank the academic and administrative staff for nurturing us to be individuals who are ready for the future.
“We have learned, laughed, loved, worked and most of all, matured together. However, our pathways will now be diverging in different directions. There is neither a script nor a formula for a future that is certain in its uncertainties. The journey ahead will be filled with both challenges and opportunities.”
Tai urged the other graduates to “rise to the occasion when faced with challenges and never stop learning”.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, she said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
She ended her speech by thanking all parents and family members for their unconditional love, care and concern.
Tai is currently employed by UOB Malacca as a relationship officer. When asked what her future plan is, she confidently said, “My future plan is to become a successful banker.”