KUCHING: There is always a saying, nothing is impossible no matter where you are from!
For, Nur Afifah Ismail of Gedong, Simunjan, her dreams of her life finally came true as she is among 58,000 applicants who have been awarded United Kingdom’s (UK) government’s prestigious Chevening scholarship to pursue her Masters in Digital Media and Communication in University of Stirling, Scotland.
“Alhamdulillah. Very grateful. It still feels surreal. Before this, I used to ask myself whether I would have the opportunity to study abroad. I have thought about it, but it seems impossible.
“But, 2022, God has blessed me. After a year of screening process, with 58,000 applicants from all over the world, I am one of those who have been finally selected as the recipient of such a prestigious scholarship, fully funded by the government of UK,” she said in a Facebook post.
The 26-year-old had thanked her parents, family, and colleagues at Borneo Digital who have always given her encouragement and supported her.
“Seriously. It still feels like just a dream, A child from a ‘kampung’ (village), studying in the rural schools, and going to pursue masters in the UK,” she said.
She also described her experience in the field of Digital Media and Communication as ‘sezarah kuman’ (not that vast and there is still more to learn).
“Hence, the knowledge that I gain from the UK, I will definitely share for the benefit of Malaysia, especially to the people in my home state, Sarawak,” she said.
Afifah also called for prayers that her journey will run smoothly.
She then ended her post with a sweet message, “Dreams are free.”
According to her personal details on Facebook, Afifah currently works at Borneo Digital.
She had studied at SMK Gedong and obtained six As in her SPM, and had also studied Plant Resource Science and Management under the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
Meanwhile, UNIMAS vice chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Kadim Suaidi in his Facebook post had congratulated Afifah for her achievements.
“Congratulations and well done, Afifah, UNIMAS alumni, who will further her Masters and she is expected to depart to the UK next September,” he said.
Chevening is the UK government’s international scholarships programme. Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations, it offers awards to study in the UK for one year on a fully funded master’s degree course.
