KOTA SAMARAHAN: Two exceptional graduates — Scholastica Antonia Steven from Miri and Natalie Sin Xin Ying from Kuching — have been named recipients of the prestigious Anugerah Yayasan Sarawak, recognising their academic excellence in their studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
Scholastica, who graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing with Honours, attributed her success to hard work, perseverance, and faith.
“You have to recognise your own weaknesses and work on them. For me, time management was a challenge, so I learned from friends and lecturers how to study more effectively,” she told reporters after receiving her award during Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s 29th Convocation Ceremony here Tuesday (Nov 4).
She also emphasised the importance of gratitude and humility.
“We must always be thankful to God, pray, and respect our parents and teachers. With that, our knowledge will be blessed,” she added.
Describing nursing as “a tough but enjoyable course,” Scholastica said her journey was made easier with the encouragement of her friends and mentors.
Currently working as a home care nurse, she plans to sit for her nursing licensure exam next year and hopes to work in Singapore before eventually returning to Sarawak to pursue her dream of opening a nursing home.
“My biggest dream is to open a nursing home here in Sarawak. I’m passionate about gerontology, helping the elderly and I want to give back to my community after gaining experience abroad,” she said.
Her motivation, she shared, comes from her parents.
“I always pray that I’ll make them proud. Becoming a nurse has made that dream come true,” she said.
Meanwhile, Natalie Sin Xin Ying, who achieved a perfect CGPA of 4.0 in Software Engineering with Honours, credited discipline as the key to her success.
“Motivation is based on feelings, but discipline means doing things even when you don’t feel like it. It’s about consistency, asking questions, and learning from others,” said the Kuching-born.
Natalie advised students not to isolate themselves, saying that collaboration and friendships were crucial to her academic journey.
“Don’t be a lone ranger. When you connect with others, you learn things you wouldn’t have known alone,” she shared.
Looking ahead, Natalie said she is currently in the process of interviewing with companies and hopes to build a career in data-related fields such as data science and analytics.
“I believe data is powerful because it provides insights that can drive business decisions. I love working with graphs and charts to uncover patterns,” she said.
Natalie also expressed her desire to stay and contribute to Sarawak’s growing digital economy.
“In the past, opportunities in Sarawak were limited compared to Kuala Lumpur, but things are changing. With the Premier’s initiatives and major investments like X-FAB, the digital economy here is expanding rapidly. I want to stay and be part of that growth,” she said.
