September 2013 – Two STPM high achievers, Shanta Sankaran and Emilia Yeo Tze Ying, were awarded the Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) Scholarships from International Medical University (IMU). These two students received the Scholarship to study the entire 4-year BPharm programme locally at IMU. The exclusive and competitive scholarships were awarded based on merit and will cover the full tuition fees while studying at IMU, subject to satisfactory progress. Shanta and Emilia will be joining the September 2013 intake of the BPharm programme. “Science has always been a passion of mine, and pharmacy in particular has interested me for some time. Dedicating my life to improving the lives of others is very appealing to me. I sat for STPM in 2012 and was offered a pure chemistry programme in one of the public universities in Malaysia. I really wanted to study pharmacy and am very happy and grateful to IMU for giving me the scholarship so that I can develop my capacity and talent in becoming a great pharmacist”, said Shanta Sankaran. Shanta has always been active in the community. “Locally, I was a member of Voluntary Aid Detachment, where I help out during blood donation campaigns or any healthcare campaigns. In my neighborhood, I conduct a Junior Youth Empowerment Programme for children between 12 to 14 years old. In this programme, I help the children to identify their talents, express their thought and build spiritual perception so that they can avoid negative forces in their life and carry out meaningful activities. I also went to an Orang Asli village in Sungkai for three months to teach English language for children aged 8 to 12. Internationally, I had a chance to go to Berastagi, Indonesia for three months to teach English and general knowledge for children aged 6 to 14.” The other recipient of the scholarship, Emilia Yeo Tze Ying, was thrilled and overwhelmed with joy when she first heard that she will be awarded the scholarships. She was relieved and grateful as getting the scholarship will mean that her family will not be burdened by the tuition fees of the programme. Also offered a course in a public university that was not of her choice, she applied for the pharmacy programme in IMU and also for its scholarship. “I participated the 30 Hours Famine Camp in July 2013. It was a great experience. I understood the toughness of poverty through this camp. We were involved in games, watched videos and made and sold handcrafts. Through these activities, I eventually realised how very lucky I am to be having much more than I deserve. Every one of us has the power, though small, to change the lives of the unfortunate. I hope that in my future career, I can make a difference, though slightly, but significant enough to improve a small bit of the life quality of the unfortunate,” said Emilia. The Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) Scholarships from International Medical University (IMU) are designed to provide the best and the brightest young Malaysians with the opportunity to realise their fullest potential. These scholarships show the University’s commitment to educating high achievers and encourage students to take up quality university studies in Malaysia.