While scrolling through my Google Photos of yesteryears, one picture stopped me right in my tracks. It was dated November 2016 – nine years ago. There was Cass, just an 8-year-old in Standard 2, standing proudly on stage with a trophy in her hands. She had won an award for outstanding academic results and was ranked among the top five in her entire standard.
Hubby and I were there, sitting in the school hall, waiting eagerly for her name to be called. When she walked up the stage, petite and confident, our hearts swelled with pride. It felt like such a big milestone at that time – and truly, it was.
Fast forward nine years, and here she is today, in the thick of preparing for SPM, the most important exam of her 11 years of schooling. I can’t help but feel emotional looking at that tiny little girl on stage and comparing her to the determined young lady she is now. She’s been putting so much effort into revising, pushing through long days and stressful nights. I hope she will do well in SPM. Every parent hopes for good results, but more than anything, I hope she feels proud of how hard she has worked.
And honestly, regardless of what her results turn out to be, I am already so proud of her. Cass has spent 11 years in Chinese education – plus 3 years of Chinese-medium kindergarten. That’s 14 years of learning in a language her parents can’t read or write. Imagine how challenging that must have been. Yet she never gave up. She survived and thrived in a top-performing primary school (KC2), followed by one of the best Chinese Independent high schools in Malaysia.
So yes, while As are nice, her journey matters so much more. Her discipline, her resilience, her ability to adapt, and her courage to keep going speak louder than any grade ever could.
From that little 8-year-old trophy winner to the young lady sitting for SPM, she has come such a long way. And no matter what comes next, I will always be proud of her.
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