Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) celebrates more than 320 graduands at the latest ceremony in March 2023, at the MCKL Auditorium. The graduation and awards ceremony recognised graduates in six programmes, Cambridge A Level, Australian Matriculation, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), ACCA Foundation in Accountancy (ACCA FIA), Cambridge International Certificate in Teaching & Learning, and Diploma in Early Childhood Education.
The event was graced by Reverend Dr T. Jeyakumar, Bishop of the Methodist Church Malaysia; Mr Gopala Krishnan Sundaram, Chairman of the Board of Governors, and Dr Chua Ping Yong, Chief Executive Officer, MCKL.
Brandy Tsai Tung Yu, who received her Diploma in Early Childhood Education, was the cohort’s Valedictorian, “This recognition was honestly very surprising, but knowing that my goal was to always honour God not just in my daily life but also in my own grades, I am very honoured and thankful to be able to win this award for God.” Brandy was also the recipient of the Datuk Dr Chiam Heng Keng Award as the best performing student in her diploma.
The highest scoring student in the Australian Matriculation programme, Lau Zi Qi, was presented the Datuk F R Bhupalan award, out of more than 80 students. Edgar Wong, who successfully completed the Cambridge A Level programme was awarded the Yin Kam Yoke Award as the best performing student in his batch, along with pocketing four other accolades including: Outstanding Scholars in Cambridge GCE A Level Examination June 2022, Subject prize winner in Mathematics, Excellence Award, and Overall Academic Excellence in Combination Science and Arts.
“Winning the Datuk F R Bhupalan award was a validation of my hard work, a testament to the extra hours I put in to studying, and a proof that my efforts were not in vain,” recalled Zi Qi. “This recognition was not just a personal achievement, but also a reflection of the support and guidance that I received from my mentors, teachers, and friends along the way. Moving forward, this recognition will act as a constant motivation for me to continue pushing myself to strive for even greater heights in the future. It was a humbling experience that touched me deeply and reminds me that anything is possible with hard work, determination, and a little bit of support from those around us.”
Edgar too, was pleased with his feat, “This award is meaningful to the extent that it is an indication of my progress in the academic fields that I am interested in. In my young and naive mind, studying is a lifelong pursuit of intellectual stimulation. Grades, awards, and accolades are merely by products of said pursuit.”
In his closing speech, Dr Chua emphasised that students should keep focus on their priorities long after they leave MCKL’s auditorium. He reflected on MCKL’s 10 Core Values that guides everyone walking through its doors, the ultimate of which is to honour God, to set their roots in Him and the lives they want to lead. “We realised why students keep choosing MCKL is because they recognise our value system that is different than anywhere else. It’s nothing short of inspirational to see how we’re making a difference in students’ lives – by watching the light that is ignited within themselves when they leave campus and take it into fruition, the dreams they wish to undertake.” However, sometimes, with such ambitions comes setbacks. “Don’t worry if you fail, there’s always something to learn. When you learn from it, you will find yourselves growing immensely from that experience.”
Dr Chua reminded students to always honour God and obey Him; and in his parting words, thanked the graduating cohort of March 2023 for carrying on MCKL’s good name.
