Poverty without a scholarship need not be a hindrance.

Today I think back to a young boy who was a pupil of mine. Thinking of him, I could see that there are very few obstacles where there is determination.

Here was a boy who even had to work while studying. As a result, his marks were usually average. Though he was hard-working, there were merely twenty-four hours to work for pay, attend school and complete homework. Life sometimes is just not fair but what can we do. Are we just going to sit down and moan about it? That could be what some would do but not this boy. He was dark, thin and quite shabbily dressed. He certainly needed more attention. Yet, he persevered and though he was at times late in finishing his work; finished them, he did.

With an average SPM (That's Secondary School Examination Certificate.) results and, being a poor Chinese citizen of Malaysia without any special privileges, he had no scholarship either. Did he sit down and cry over it? No! With no possible financial help from his parents, he jumped into the first proper job he could find as an assistant to a food outlet. Then, he found a better paying job at a factory, saved as much as he could for the next few years and finally got a place in a college. He continued to work as he studied.

One advantage for him who had to work even before finishing his studies was that he understood and realised that work without a good academic qualification brought in very little money and that the future could not be too bright in such a circumstance.

He completed his college education and from college he went on to study in the University of Malaya. Life must have been tough but today he is an engineer in a company.

Well, he did it without financial support or a scholarship. It was not plain sailing but he did it through determination. At no point did he throw up his arms in despair, although he had plenty of excuses and could have done so without anyone pointing an ugly accusing finger at him. BUT, he did not! AND today, he has proved that it can be done if we put our mind to it.