KUCHING: When Defi Asdaranti Lumbai walked across the stage to receive her scroll at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak’s 102nd Convocation today, the hall erupted in applause; yet for her, the moment was strikingly silent.
Her family members could not be there, and the only person who had promised to cheer her on, her mother, had passed away just months earlier.
Still, Defi, who is 24 years old, stood tall, carrying not just her Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons.) in Marketing with first-class honours, but also her mother’s unwavering belief in her.
“I graduated alone, but I know my mum would have been proud,” she said when met by reporters.
Her journey had been anything but easy.
Eager to push her limits, she chose to complete her six-month internship with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she built new friendships and networks while adapting to a bustling new environment.
However, a turning point came when her mother’s health began to deteriorate before she could do her internship in Jakarta.
“I thought my siblings could care for her, but then her condition got worse,” she said.
At the same time, her visa application was rejected, leaving her torn between her duties as a daughter and her responsibilities as an intern.
With her supervisor’s support, she stayed at home and continued her internship remotely while caring for her mother, a time she described as “doing two things at once”.
Then, in June 2024, her mother passed away.
“She told me she loved me and believed I could succeed. She even thanked me for taking care of her,” she added.
Her mother’s final words now fuel her ambition.
“Mum, today I graduated, even though no one came to see me. I got first-class honours. I made it. After this, I want to pursue my master’s, then my PhD,” she added.
Defi plans to enroll in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme before pursuing a doctorate, dreams she hopes will honour her mother’s sacrifice.
