Sunway Welcomes a New Batch of JCF Community Scholars

The Sunway Education Group welcomed a new batch of Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF) Community Scholars at a recent gathering at Sunway University. The gathering of new, existing and graduated scholars was targeted to help the new community scholars in getting to know each other. It also provided an opportunity for the seniors to share and encourage the juniors in their educational journey at Sunway University.

In her welcome speech, Elizabeth Lee, Senior Executive Director of Sunway Education Group, citing higher education as the hope for a better and brighter future said, “All of you here this morning will be our next generation of leaders. The future can be bright and success possible. Always remember, you have unlimited potential, we are just here to help you on your way”.

In conjunction with the get-together, the Sunway Education Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MyTeksi. MyTeksi has agreed to contribute a sum of RM6,000 per year for the next 5 years to the JCF. The contribution amounting to RM30,000 will be used to support the Book Purchase for the community scholars. My Teksi is a taxi despatch service with GPS enhancements founded by former Sunway A-Level alumnus Anthony Tan.

Tan in his speech encouraged the scholars to “Unleash your potential, because you have it. You need to remember that you have to push forward but you can’t push alone, and with this scholarship, the JCF is showing you the way.”

On hand to share their experiences were Sunway College ACCA alumna, Cheng Yeen Yin and current student Leong Chee Keong.

Cheng, from a single parent family, graduated in 2013 and is currently working as an auditor at one of the Big Four accounting firms in Kuala Lumpur. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Sunway, giving credit to the Student Services team, her lecturers and her seniors who have helped her along the way. She encouraged the new scholars to get involved in societies and clubs to get to know people and their new surroundings, her advice to them, “Work hard to complete your ACCA and have an aim in your life. One should aim to be happy too as happiness is important.”

(From left) Rose Madonna Devaraj, Head-Counselling and Career Services, Student Services; Soo Ee Sarn, Assistant Manager-Scholarship & Support Services, Student Services; Jane Poh, Administrator of Jeffrey Cheah Foundation; Lee Siok Ping, Director of Student Services; Professor Graeme Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor, Sunway University; Elizabeth Lee, Senior Executive Director of Sunway Education Group; Anthony Tan, Founder and Group CEO of MyTeksi; Vincent Tan and Caroline Wee of MyTeksi; Joelin Lim Ai Ling, Senior Executive-Student Development, Student Services and Sue-Ann Chia, Manager-Alumni Office, Student Services, Sunway Education Group

Leong who grew up in a T-Ratana Home, started his studies for the Diploma in Business Administration at Sunway University last year. Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to Sunway and the JCF for providing him the scholarship, he hopes to be able to continue with his degree at Sunway University citing he expresses his gratitude and gratefulness by performing well in his work, getting and maintaining good results for his studies. Leong explained that besides self-discipline, he has learned to be independent and responsible. His advice to those present, “Cherish what you have now, try to score well, pay attention in class and push yourself to work harder.” Leong ended his sharing with an inspirational quote, “Never waste the opportunities that come up, because the same opportunity will not come twice.”

The JCF Community Scholars with the Sunway Education Group and Jeffrey Cheah Foundation management

Each year, the JCF Community Scholarships are awarded to budding potentials from welfare homes and disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue studies at Sunway University and Sunway College. A total of 41 scholars have graduated so far since the scholarship first started in 2002. Currently Sunway has 20 community scholars studying at Sunway. The JCF Community Scholarship, synonymous with the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF) is a highly valued social transformer to encourage and support students, motivating them in their journey to reach their full potential and aspiration.

The Sunway Education Group institutions are owned and governed by the not-for-profit JCF. Through the JCF, the Sunway Education Group gives back to society, using operating surpluses to fund and award scholarships ensuring that sustainable, quality education is always a priority. To date, the JCF has awarded scholarships in excess RM165 million, touching the lives of more than 19,500 students in institutions within the Sunway Education Group.

The JCF is the first-of-its-kind in Malaysia within the field of private higher education, modeled along the lines of one of the oldest and most eminent universities in the world, Harvard University.