Two Malaysian geniuses have made the country exceedingly proud by securing their spots at the reputable Ivy League institution, Harvard University!
In a press release from alumni group, Harvard Club of Malaysia that was posted on Twitter, it was recently discovered that Zad Chin Qi Qi and Mohamed Aqil Azmi are the first Malaysians to be accepted into the prestigious establishment since 2017.
Take a sec to spotlight these 2 amazing young persons who beat the odds & got coveted spots in Harvard College Class of 2024! So, so proud of Aqil & Zad. Confirmation that our youth in Malaysia are our greatest treasure. Please share their story to inspire other young Msians! pic.twitter.com/MXx4jqfa74
— Nadiah Wan (@lapetitemaligne) May 20, 2020
While a whopping total of 40,428 students applied for the university’s class of 2024, only 1,980 were shortlisted-including our very own Zad and Aqil! If you’re wondering how difficult it is to get into Harvard, just take a look at the existing Malaysian alumni. As of this year, there are less than 10 Malaysian Harvard Alumni, reports Malay Mail.
Zad, from Ipoh, and Aqil, from Shah Alam are currently doing their A-Levels at Kolej Yayasan UEM (KYUEM) in Lembah Beringin, Selangor. Both are scholarship students from Permodalan Nasional Berhad and Yayasan Khazanah respectively.
When they discovered the fantastic news, both students were elated.
“It’s been five months since I got the offer but that moment at 8am on Friday when I sujud syukur and cried after checking my email still sticks in my mind as one of the most surreal moments in my life,” said Aqil in a tweet. As an avid debater and voracious reader, Aqil will be pursuing an undergraduate degree in mathematics and philosophy in Harvard.
It’s been 5 months since I got the offer but that moment at 8 a.m. on a Friday when I sujud syukur and cried after checking my email still sticks in my mind as one of the most surreal moments of my life hahaha. Alhamdulillāh ♥️??? https://t.co/cJOO2PCc1f
— ‘Aqīl (@aqilazme) May 20, 2020
Zad, on the other hand, told Malay Mail, “coming from a low-income family, people always have the impression that Harvard and the Ivy League are only for the rich kids and it’s impossible for us to get in. I just want to say, don’t ever let where you come from define where you are going to end up.”
The inspiring young student plans to major in Computer Science and Social Studies after falling in love with machinery, taking after her father who works in the industry.
“We truly believe that our Malaysian students are inspiring individuals who will go on to contribute great things to the world. People like Aqil and Zad give us great hope for our future and we are delighted that Harvard has given them the opportunity to gain experiences from a wider world, but it’s also an opportunity for them to showcase Malaysian talent abroad,” said Wan Nadiah, Group CEO of TMC Life Sciences Berhad.
“We wish them the heartiest congratulations and we hope that their journey at Harvard will be a valuable experience in shaping them to be the great people we know they can be and to be inspirations for other young Malaysians,” added Nick Khaw, Director of Research at Khazanah Nasional Berhad, in the press release statement.
Congrats to Zad and Aqil for this amazing achievement! You’ve certainly made us proud to be Malaysian.
Also read: Student Makes Malaysia Proud by Excelling at US University, Maintained Perfect 4.0 CGPA
