Determination is the key to success. That is a saying that I truly believe in and somehow that has resulted in me getting the “Best Transformation” Award from the IMU Student Ambassadors (SA) programme. Let me share with you my experience in this programme. My journey in IMU started back in 2015 when I joined IMU as a Foundation in Science (FiS) student. Upon completion of the FiS, I continued pursuing my studies in Pharmacy at the same University. It was while I was studying for my pharmacy degree, during my Semester 2, when I tried applying to be a SA. I was highly motivated to apply for this as I have seen people transform themselves in this programme. Unfortunately, I failed the interview for this programme. Nevertheless, I was undaunted and my motivation did not diminish because of this failure. In fact, I tried to apply for the SA programme again during my Semester 4. Finally, after undergoing 2 interviews, I was selected to become a SA. My time as a SA saw me having many opportunities to learn several new sets of skills. One of these skills that I harnessed the most is my communication skills.
During this time, I had the opportunity to be the emcee for one of the events in the Festival of Arts (FOTA) and at the Career Enhancement Talk. Other than that, I also had the opportunity to share my experiences in IMU to both parents and potential students during the University Open Day, Medicine and Dentistry Students Interview and Education Fairs. Moreover, the Student Ambassador programme also gave me the opportunity to be committee members and volunteers in some major events. During the Chariofare 2018, the SAs had a booth and I was the assistant to the main person in charge of games. Together with this person, we did the preparations for the games and built the props ourselves. Furthermore, I volunteered myself for several events that were held at IMU such as Speed Challenge 3.0, EarthFest and so on.
One of the most memorable activities that I experienced during this time was the SA Camp. Throughout the Camp, I gained many new experiences while participating in various activities which include white water rafting, cave exploration, flying fox and so on. It was also at this camp that I further increased the bond with other SAs. At the same time, I learnt a lot about teamwork, communication barriers, self-improvement and much more.
For me, the biggest achievement that I had in my journey is becoming the “Best Transformation” SA. When I received this achievement, I was overjoyed as it makes the hard work that I did throughout my SA journey worthwhile. The award is also a testament of my belief that being a SA is not only just collecting the required hours, it is also to discover our true potential and how we are going to use it to the fullest.
In a nutshell, being a SA is one of the most memorable experience that I have throughout my journey as an IMU student. I had gained extraordinary experiences and learnt a lot about myself throughout my one year as a SA. I love this programme so much that I have signed on to be a senior SA for another 6 months and hope to be able to make a difference in the next cohort of SAs.
“To be the best, you need to accept the fact that you’re not the best and have the will to strive to be better than anyone you face.”- Roronoa Zoro.
Written by: Saw Yan Bin, final year student of the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons). Related articles: IMU Celebrates the Beauty of Culture Through the Arts Malaysians Come Together as One at IMU Chariofare 2018
