Inspiration to us all

One would probably figure Yap Xiang Ling for a normal teenager if one were to meet her in person. But she almost died shortly after childbirth and despite being hearing impaired, she was recently accepted into Harvard. It's very difficult to get into Harvard even if you're a very bright, articulate and accomplished American. Only a handful of Malaysians get into Harvard every year at the undergraduate level - probably not more than 5 a year and that's an estimate on the high side. To be able to overcome a childhood handicap and get into one of the most prestigious universities in the world is truly a remarkable achievement and should be an inspiration to us all who complain about the little, little things that we have to deal with in life.

But I'm sure that there are many other such stories out there. I gather that Xiang Ling was luckier than most in that she's had a relatively comfortable upbringing (She studied in Singapore and Hong Kong where her father worked and she's currently in UWC in British Colombia, Canada). Many other Malaysians from relatively modest backgrounds would have had the opportunities that Xiang Ling has had. Which makes their stories of academic success all the more remarkable.

A friend of mine from secondary school in Singapore is a brilliant mathematician. His father drove a taxi. He went to Imperial College in the UK on a government scholarship and could have gone to MIT to do his PhD under a Fields Medalist (the mathematics equivalent of a Nobel Prize) but had to go back to Singapore to serve his bond.

I know of another undergraduate here at Duke who is from a small paddy planting community in a rural part of Selangor. He got a scholarship to do his IB in UWC in Hong Kong and now he's in Duke, where he receives a substantial amount of financial aid.

My fellow blogger is a modest guy but his own story parallels the ones that I've put down above. Perhaps Tony should tell us a little more about his own personal story? I'm sure many out there would find it pretty inspiring :)