BATU PAHAT: After years of sacrifice that included living apart from her children and showering at highway rest stops, a 42-year-old mother of six today realised her dream of earning a PhD in Engineering Technology.
Nurul Zakiah Zamri Tan received her doctorate at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia’s (UTHM) 25th convocation today.
While studying, she had to live apart from her six children and even slept in her car at highway Rest and Service (R&R) areas to save on travel expenses between her home and the Pagoh campus.
“I still remember sleeping in my car and showering at the Pagoh R&R just to save time and money.
“My children were cared for by my mother-in-law, and I prepared frozen meals for them.
“I also took on grass-cutting jobs, including an area almost two hectares in size, and worked part-time cleaning homestays and doing graphic design to support our living expenses.
“I was never ashamed of doing such work because my goal was to earn enough to continue my studies,” she said when met after the ceremony.
She said when she began her studies in 2019, she faced tremendous pressure — financially, emotionally and in managing the responsibility of raising six children without help.
“At the same time, I also carried family responsibilities in Perlis while looking after my mother-in-law,” she added.
Meanwhile, Royal Education Award (Pingat Jaya Cemerlang) recipient Abdullah Abduraman, 26, said he never imagined he would one day stand on the UTHM convocation stage to receive the prestigious medal.
The Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduate said he had only scored 1A in his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
“I never saw that as the end. Instead, it was a beginning.
“I continued my studies at Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin in electronic engineering and graduated with a CGPA of 3.80, earning the Director’s Award,” he said.
His hardships did not end there — he faced financial constraints that nearly derailed his plans to pursue a degree.
“I come from a low-income family. So I saved bit by bit because I was determined to continue studying,” he said.
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