BY JACINTHA JOLEEN & RASHEEQA BAHIDA
Three Sarawakian students share what drove them to pursue a PETRONAS education sponsorship
KUCHING: All of them had a different reason for chasing a PETRONAS education sponsorship but are determined to build a future on their own terms with the opportunity.
Alvin Alberto Raber’s motivation was close to home.
The youngest of 15 siblings, Alvin grew up in a rural village in Bau and lost his father when he was only two. His mother subsequently raised the family, carrying responsibilities that Alvin came to understand more deeply as he grew older.
He wanted to do well, not only for himself, but also because he hoped that one day he could take some of the weight off her shoulders.
Then came his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) trial examinations.
The SM Sains Kuching student nearly failed Biology and Additional Mathematics, the latter being one of his favourite subjects.
It was the sort of result that could easily dent a student’s confidence.
Instead, it jolted Alvin into action.
“Additional Mathematics was something I was usually good at, so almost failing my favourite subject really scared me. It was a wake-up call,” he recalled.
He started cutting back on social media and time with friends, putting more hours into his studies.
The thought of his family kept him focused.
“I asked myself, if I don’t study, how can I help my family?” he said.
The change paid off.
He went on to score 4A+ and 5As in the 2025 SPM, earning a place among the students selected for the PETRONAS Powering Knowledge Education Sponsorship (PPKES) programme.
Alvin is now pursuing a Foundation in Engineering at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), with Civil Engineering as his intended field.
Getting the sponsorship meant Alvin had to face something he would normally avoid.
The application required him to speak in front of a camera, which made him nervous.
A friend encouraged him to apply anyway.
So, Alvin did something that did not come naturally to him. He put himself forward.
The decision led to a moment he will not forget.
“I was so nervous when I checked the portal. When I saw that I was awarded the PETRONAS sponsorship, I was overjoyed and burst into tears,” he said.
The experience has changed the way he looks at situations that make him uncomfortable.
“Even if you are forced to step out of your comfort zone, don’t be afraid or shy. Just do it, because it will lead you to a brighter future,” he said.
A sponsorship she had already pictured herself winning
Syahirah Sulaiman did not discover the PETRONAS education sponsorship by chance.
Even before sitting for her SPM, she was already hoping to become a PETRONAS sponsorship recipient.
The ambition came with a practical concern.
Syahirah knew that university would bring significant costs, and she worried that finances could limit the choices available to her.
“I knew I had to secure a sponsorship,” she said.
She worked towards it, earning 6A+ and 3As in her SPM.
Today, the MRSM Kuching graduate is pursuing a Foundation in Physical Science at University Malaya, with plans to study Software Engineering.
But getting there was not only about collecting good grades.
Syahirah also knew there were other areas where she needed to grow, particularly her confidence when speaking in front of larger groups.
Rather than shy away from it, she began putting herself in situations that would push her to speak up.
After SPM, she joined leadership programmes where she had to present ideas, interact with others and communicate with people she had never met before.
It was uncomfortable at first, but each experience made it easier.
She also sought advice from seniors who were part of the PETRONAS sponsorship programme. They shared their experiences, offered interview tips and gave her a better understanding of what to expect from the selection process.
Through them, she learned that earning a PETRONAS sponsorship required more than just strong academic results.
“While focusing on academics is essential, I strongly emphasise developing soft skills too, like leadership and communication,” she said.
Those experiences, she believes, can help build confidence that grades alone cannot provide.
The student who followed her questions
Crystal Lu Eng Rou did not choose psychology because someone told her it was a good career choice.
She chose it because people kept making her curious.
Why do we behave differently?
Why can two people experience the same thing and walk away with completely different reactions?
And what is actually happening inside the human mind?
“I’m very interested in anything human-related because I’ve always been fascinated by the things our minds can do,” said Crystal.
The SMK Tinggi Kuching graduate scored 11A+ in her 2025 SPM and is now taking her A-Levels at Taylor’s College. She plans to study Psychology in the United Kingdom.
Curiosity has never been something Crystal wanted to suppress.
It is what led her towards a field where there is always something else to understand.
Her introduction to the PPKES came through seniors who shared what life was like as sponsorship recipients.
Their experiences made the sponsorship feel less like an abstract award and more like a possibility worth pursuing.
The selection process then gave Crystal a taste of what that possibility might demand.
She had to work with others, put her ideas across and respond within a limited amount of time.
It was not always easy.
But Crystal was interested in what the experience revealed: people approach problems differently, communicate differently and see situations from different angles.
For a student fascinated by human behaviour, that was almost a lesson in itself.
“Always stay curious. Learning new things is how we truly grow as a person,” she said.
Different starting points
More than 100 Sarawakian 2025 SPM school leavers are now beginning their own stories as PPKES recipients.
They were selected from more than 7,000 applicants based on academic performance, leadership potential and co-curricular involvement, and will pursue tertiary studies at UTP, leading universities in Malaysia and institutions overseas.
But behind those numbers are students with their own motivations for pursuing the PETRONAS education sponsorship.
Alvin wanted to ease the burden on his family. Syahirah wanted to make sure financial circumstances did not narrow her choices. Crystal simply wanted to understand more about people and the world around her.
With PETRONAS’ support behind them, they can now take the next step towards what they have set out to achieve.
