KUCHING: Paul Cornelius Bong is a young man on a mission after receiving the chairman’s award from The Institution of Engineers Malaysia, Sarawak branch.
He received the award during the institution’s annual dinner held here at Imperial Hotel.
His presentation themed ‘Plastic as a source, not a waste’, won him a chance to represent Malaysia at the Present Around The World (PATW) Asia Regionals 2019 in Hong Kong.
“Academics aren’t everything in life, extra skills are extremely important as well. I was an introvert and avoided public speaking until I decided to improve myself by participating in the Present Around The World (PATW) competition.
“The award came as a shock to me, as I did not expect it at all. I was extremely elated. It’s definitely an important milestone in my life, one that I can proudly call an achievement,” said Bong who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering.
“Under the guidance of my lecturers, I gradually found my way to academic success. There are countless opportunities in life, you never know which one might actually lead you to success,” Bong said when sharing his key to success.
He said he wanted to be a professional engineer in the near future. Upon completion of the Certificate in Electrical and Electronics Engineering programme at i-CATS in May 2016, he progressed to the BTEC Higher National Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering programme.
Sharing his experience at i-CATS, Bong highlighted, “During the course of my studies, I learned about the wonders of electricity and unbounded possibilities of electronics which ignited my passion for engineering.”
He was on the Dean’s List throughout his studies, and graduated in August 2018 with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.94.
On August 2019, in recognition of his outstanding performance (final year) in the BTEC Higher National Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering programme, he was a recipient of the chairman’s award by The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (Sarawak Branch).
Bong’s track record of excellence continues — recently, he emerged champion in the Malaysian finals of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Present Around The World (PATW) competition.
PATW is the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s global competition for young professionals and students within the field of engineering to develop and showcase their presentation skills.
