It’s never too late to pursue our dreams, and these four elderly people were the ultimate examples of lifelong learning.
They are among the 740 students who graduated from Wawasan Open University yesterday (7 December).
The 76-year-old Madam Kamilia Tan Abdullah is the oldest graduate from the Commonwealth Executive MBA programme. The other two students who graduated from the Master of Education (MEd) programme are Madam Mangayarkarasy Velayutham, 71, as well as Madam Wong Seow Chee, 72. Both of them are specialising in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). 73-year-old Mr Koh Choi Hing graduated from the Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Sales and Marketing programme.
After her achievement in completing the Master of Education programme, Madam Wong is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme in July 2019, as reported on Wawasan Open University’s website. Woah, that’s impressive!
According to China Press, Madam Wong said that it’s interesting having really young classmates, and she enjoyed studying with them. She thinks that this opportunity is valuable because she got the opportunities to listen to opinions and ideas from people of different age groups.
“Although our age gap is big, they (young classmates) are very friendly and their thoughts are one-of-a-kind. I’m always surprised by their unique ideas.”
Madam Mangayarkarasy mentioned that it’s important to have a positive attitude and mindset when it comes to studying, and she won’t be defeated by the fear of encountering difficulties.
“Life will give you all kinds of difficulties, and all I need to do is to face the troubles to turn the impossible into possible.”
After retiring from her previous job, Madam Mangayarkarasy felt a little bored staying at home every day, thus she was interested to venture into becoming a tuition teacher.
“Becoming a teacher is definitely momentous to me because I stand for equality in education. Everyone is equal, we all deserve the same opportunities to study.”
We are beyond impressed and inspired by these wonderful graduates, congratulations to their significant achievements!
Also read: M’sian Man Celebrated His Graduation At Home With Mum Who Suffers From Stage 4 Breast Cancer