University Scholarship Awarded to Wen Wen Teh from Nexus International School Putrajaya
Nexus International School would like to congratulate all of our learners who will be embarking on the next stage of their studies at university. We have learners travelling across the globe, including the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, as well as some staying on to study in Malaysian Universities. A special mention has to be given to Teh Wen Wen, who has secured a scholarship from the, Malaysian Public Service Department to study Neuroscience at John Hopkins University (USA). John Hopkins is a global leader in this field, ranked 7th in the world (4th in the USA), in the clinical, pre-clinical and Health category (Times Higher Education) and a notoriously hard institution to get into. The staff at Nexus would like to wish Wen Wen and all of the graduating class 2014 the best of luck in the future.
Below Wen Wen shares her thoughts on her experiences of studying at Nexus.
How did Nexus help achieve your life goals (academic and holistic)?
Being the first cohort to graduate, we were the pioneers in many aspects. I was always involved in many clubs and activities while I was at Nexus and I enjoyed the diversity of the activities that I participated in, many among them such as TV Production, Nexus Community, the yearbook team, and the girls basketball team were started by myself and members of our graduating class. There were plenty of leadership opportunities and to be involved in the community, which keeps a balance in my school life between academics and extra-curriculars. Academically, Nexus provided a conducive environment for studying and the teachers also pushed me to achieve my best.
Do you feel Nexus helped you prepare for university?
Certain discussion-based classes such as English at Nexus trained me to speak up and express my opinions, which is key for participation at university classes. The level of critical thinking and analysis skills required to do well at Nexus also translated into useful skills for university. Here at Hopkins, I’ve seen freshman-level students struggle with the workload as it is less class based and involved a lot more of independent learning, but I’ve been coping well as I could adapt the learning methods at Nexus to university. I felt that staying at the boarding house also made me into a more independent person, which helped me prepare for life abroad.
What things did you enjoy the most while you were at Nexus?
One of the things at Nexus that I really appreciated was the close relationship between teachers and students. The teachers at Nexus are all very approachable and helpful, with genuine interests in their students. Whenever I needed help with work or advice regarding school or other related issues, the teachers were always willing to spend their precious time to help out.
Are you glad that Nexus provided you with a scholarship and how has this helped you?
I am definitely glad to have received the Nexus scholarship. It gave me the opportunity to study in an international environment also to study the IB diploma, which I would never have considered otherwise. The scholarship also helped ease the financial burden of my parents and allowed some allowance to be spent on other activities such as participating in the International Award and gain valuable life experiences.
Are you happy that you completed the IB Diploma compared to other School courses? (has the IB DP helped in anyway?)
Completing the IB Diploma was undoubtedly not an easy process, but it was a great learning curve that helped me grow and develop necessary life skills when dealing with challenges. The rigorous and diverse nature of the IB Diploma and its core, the Extended Essay and TOK, allowed me to delve into different areas of study and explore my academic interests. It ultimately reinforced my desire to take an interdisciplinary approach towards my studies. It helped prepare me for the workload that I would take on in university, which helped eased my transition into a university student.
How did you get your scholarship for Johns Hopkins? What did you have to do? How did the school help?
I was lucky enough to be awarded a full scholarship from the Malaysian Public Service Department under the “Ivy League Program” which was open for non-bursary Malaysian students (students who are not already being sponsored by the PSD) who’ve obtained an unconditional offer to a top 10 university in their respective fields of study. There was a brief online application process and successful applicants are called in for an assessment. In the assessment, I had to undergo a group interview that was conducted in both Malay and English, followed by a group presentation in English about a particular current issue in Malaysia. As the scholarship application opened over the summer in July, I was unable to get any help from the school. Nevertheless, all the required documents (e.g. final transcript, certificates) have already been provided to me beforehand, so that wasn’t a problem.
What are you studying at John Hopkins and why did you choose that University?
I intend to pursue a major in Neuroscience and perhaps minor in Economics at Johns Hopkins. I chose Johns Hopkins as it has a very strong reputation for research which is something I’ve been very keen on doing. This is where all the breakthrough medical research happens and it’s exciting to be at the center of it. They offer countless exciting opportunities to join in current professors’ research and even give grants for undergraduates to start their own research exploration in their chosen field, as early as freshman year!
Anything else you would like to say?
I’m really thankful for all the support and guidance that the teachers at Nexus have given me throughout my four years of high school, without which I probably wouldn’t have been able to make it to where I am today.