Out of comfort zone to embrace change

I GREW up in a stable environment in Sabah with supportive parents, siblings and great friends. My life was practically laid out for me. I was very focused on my ambition to become a teacher at the age of 21, so I took the route that most people would have opted for. I got into an education programme, Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), in one of the teacher training institutions in Malaysia and graduated top of my class at the age of 24.

I went into teaching for two years and was constantly searching for creative ways to engage my students because I believed lessons should not be the same plain process that we went through every day.

Then I began to question myself. Was this all I could do to help the students and develop myself?

On Sept 26, 2015, I applied for a Master’s degree (English Language Education) at Universiti Malaya (UM) online and a scholarship programme the following year.

After a month of waiting, I was offered university placement, and a few months later, an email came through to say that I had been selected to receive the scholarship for my Master’s programme. I was thrilled but some people discouraged me.

There was a lot on my mind as most of my friends then were getting married or becoming mothers while I “bucked the trend” and just applied for a Master’s degree.

I finally enrolled as a UM postgraduate student in 2016. I learnt to progress from a teacher to a teacher-researcher.

In addition, studying in a public university was a blessing. I was closer to home and could call my mum and dad when I needed to talk. Moreover, I was lucky to have the opportunity to learn from some of the best and most experienced lecturers.

In my second semester as a postgraduate student, I was one of four postgraduates chosen to represent UM in the international student exchange programme (ISEP). The one-week programme was themed “Empowering Young Teachers”.

One of the most memorable experiences was when the host university gave us opportunity to interact and conduct team-teaching at two local primary and secondary schools.

The host university also gave us the opportunity to immerse in the local Indonesian culture. That one week of international exposure and experience with other wonderful undergraduates and postgraduates was an eye-opener, and I was truly inspired.

Before ISEP, my world consisted of home and my workplace. After ISEP, am I ready for change? Yes, I am, and I stepped out of my comfort zone and learnt that every individual could overcome the resistance to change and create something.

Participating in international programmes and making friends with foreigners who came here to study expanded my worldview. Thanks to the great education I received at UM, I am positive and hopeful of the success ahead. JANICE LO YUEH YEA Kuala Lumpur