Very recently, Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP) alumni, Julian Chee and Benedict Sun, did Malaysians proud with their incredible accomplishments.
“Folding paper planes is like a child’s entry into the world of engineering and art.”
Julian Chee Yie Jian, together with his friends Shin Moo Joon and Kim Kyu Tae, earned the new Guinness World Record for ‘Farthest Flight of a Paper Aircraft’ in April 2022. Julian’s paper plane design flew 77.134m, beating the previous record of 69.14m held by Americans John Collins and Joe Ayoob in 2012.
Playing with paper planes might seem like a child’s pastime, but to Julian and his teammates, it was months of research, testing, and collaborative effort.
Since young, the concept of flying has always fascinated Julian. In his words, “anything that flew is beautiful and truly captivated me. Getting them to fly further and stay aloft longer was always the natural path.”
“Folding paper planes is like a child’s entry into the world of engineering and art. It’s a lot faster and cheaper to make something from old mail, or an exam paper that I never want to see again, so there’s plenty of room for trial and error,” he said.
Every throw is an experiment to learn from, which he felt is incredibly important for any kid who is trying to figure out how the world works. “Creating and throwing a paper plane may seem easy and simple in concept, but it is actually complex in possibilities – from designing, thrusting it at high speeds with consistency, endurance, minimal distortion, right down to the type and weight of paper used.”
Julian is currently based in Kansas, USA, as a design engineer for Airbus. Hailing from Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the 24-year-old graduated from Wichita State University (WSU) in aerospace engineering. Prior to that, he was an ADTP student with MCKL.
His next ambition is to design, build, and launch a small but efficient rocket into space. He encourages other aspiring Malaysian rocketeers and flight enthusiasts to progress in their passion and never stop designing, building, and testing.
‘The process of leadership development is not passive.’
This statement is attested by Benedict Sun Cheng Kidd, who was very recently elected to be Student Body President for Western Michigan University (WMU) for the academic year 2022 – 2023. The 22-year-old is currently majoring in political science and global and international studies.
He attributed his growth opportunities as a leader to his time in MCKL, during which he served as the Vice President for the ADTP program and Chairperson for the annual unifying program.
“Leaders are molded and shaped not only just through time and experience, but also through a nurturing and nourishing environment. MCKL provided exactly that environment. During my time in MCKL, I was empowered by faculty members, administrative staff and peers that helped me develop as a leader. They have equipped me with the tools that had contributed to me being elected as the Student Body President for WMU,” he said.
This achievement is no mean feat for any international student. Benedict’s role as the student body president covers a myriad of responsibilities in advocating for students – from serving as the primary spokesperson for the student government and the student body as a whole, to working closely with the university’s board of trustees, the office of the president, and other shared governance partners such as the faculty senate and the Graduate Student Association.
Benedict believes to go places, one should never stop craving for knowledge, stay humble and always keep a lookout for the opportunity to be an agent of change.
MCKL congratulates Julian and Benedict for their remarkable achievements and wishes them all the best in their future!
The American Degree Transfer Program (ADTP) offered by MCKL is now open for August 2022 enrolment.
MCKL’s ADTP is a flexible credit transfer program that gives students a seamless transition to universities across the United States. Students are given the opportunity to explore a wide range of courses from various fields, ranging from physical sciences, life sciences to art, history, literature, philosophy, and even religious studies.
Depending on the preferred course of study and subjects taken, students will study one to two years in MCKL, and complete the remaining two to three years in a US university of their choice before launching into their career paths.
For further information, visit www.mckl.edu.my. To contact MCKL KL Campus, email to admission@mckl.edu.my, or call +603-2300 0998. For Pykett Campus Penang, email to admission.pg@mckl.edu.my, or call +604-217 5088.
Follow MCKL on its official social media channels on Facebook and Instagram @MethodistCollegeKL.