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From Felda settler to PhD holder

From Felda settler to PhD holder

Monday, 21/03/2022

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Her road to success was filled with obstacles, but Nurulafifah Yahya was determined to overcome them, and she did.

Today, she was awarded a PhD in oceanography at UMT’s 19th Convocation Ceremony, proving that having a difficult life was not a hurdle for her to succeed.   

Her success was even more meaningful when her sister Nurul Ezzah Yahya was also conferred a bachelor’s degree in tourism management at the ceremony.

Nurulafifah comes from a poor family. Her father passed away when she was small, leaving her mother as the sole breadwinner for the family of six. Her mother does not have a regular job but earns income by selling yields from the orchard and sewing clothes.  

Now that she is a PhD holder, the second child from Felda Maokil, Johor, intends to repay her mother’s sacrifice.

Nurulafifah admitted having a financial problem at times during her study, but she found ways to overcome it. She worked several jobs to earn her living.

“I became a lab demonstrator for several courses and an instructor during an oceanography workshop,” she said. “I also worked as a research assistant for a few consultation projects under several institutes and faculties.”

To earn an additional income, Nurulafifah even sold food from door to door at the hostel.

“The word shy does not exist in my book,” she said. “Being shy will not help you progress and achieve success.”

One of her unforgettable experiences was when she attended an overseas attachment programme, Evolutionary and Taxonomic Diversity of Marine Invertebrates, at St. Peterburg State University in Russia. During her month-long visit that was sponsored by the Russian university, she conducted a sampling activity at the White Sea.

“I went there alone, and it was my first time participating in an overseas programme. I felt very fortunate,” she said.

Nurulafifah still found time amidst her study and jobs to participate in activities that she believed would prepare her for her work career later.

She became a volunteer at a free market and a facilitator for marine awareness programmes held by UMT and WWF. She also received a full travel grant for Overseas Training Course on China – Malaysia Multidisciplinary Ocean Observation Technology, and 3rd International Conference on Southeast Asian Gateway Evolution, Indonesia.

Nurulafifah believes people must have a high fighting spirit in life.

“It will make us more determined to overcome all the obstacles,’ she said.

 

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Corporate Communications Office
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu