On paper, 22 July 2026 was my convocation day. I officially graduated with a Master of Marketing from Sunway Business School, Sunway University, through Sunway University Online, and received the Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah Scholastic Award for academic excellence.
More Than a Convocation Day
Emotionally, the day was never only about the scroll, the robe or the award. It was also about returning to an unfinished dream from 23 years ago and finally taking the family photo I once did not get to have.
I was not graduating as a fresh graduate in my early 20s but as a working mother in my mid-40s, with a husband, two children, work responsibilities, family commitments, and a very full life outside the classroom.
This was not the kind of academic journey where studying was the main thing I had to do. It was something I had to fit into the spaces between everything else.
So when the day finally came, it felt like more than a ceremony. It felt like visible proof of all the invisible effort that had taken place quietly behind the scenes.
The Photo I Did Not Have 23 Years Ago
One of the most personal reasons I wanted to pursue this postgraduate journey was not only academic; it was also emotional.
I wanted to wear the graduation robe and take a photo with my own family.
That may sound simple, but for me, it carried a memory from 23 years ago. When I completed my undergraduate studies at Universiti Malaya, I did not manage to take that graduation photo with my parents because life and circumstances were different back then. I moved on, as people do, but I think some unfinished things quietly stay with us even when we do not talk about them often.
Over the years, that small missing moment remained somewhere in my heart. It was not a dramatic regret, but it was there. A photo that never happened and a milestone that was completed but not fully captured with the people who mattered.
This time, I was certain I wanted a different ending.
I wanted my husband and children to be there. I wanted that photo not because I needed to prove anything to them, but because they are such a huge part of this season of my life. They are the people who live with the daily version of me, not only the polished version who appears on convocation day.
In a sense, when I finally wore the robe and took photos with them, it felt like I was not only celebrating the Master's degree. I was also gently closing a loop that had been open for more than two decades.
Studying Again as a Working Mother
Completing a Master's as a working mother in my mid-40s was no easy feat. I do not say this to make it sound more heroic than it was, but because it is important to acknowledge the reality behind adult learning.
Studying at this stage of life is different. You no longer have the luxury of being only a student. Your mind is constantly divided between work, family, health, responsibilities, deadlines, bills, meals, school runs, and the many invisible tasks that come with being an adult and a parent.
There were times when I had to switch quickly from work mode to study mode and then back into mother mode or when I had to finish up assignments when what I really wanted was sleep. I sometimes did wonder why I was doing this to myself when life was already busy enough.
But the honest answer is this: I love it.
I love the learning, thinking, analysing ideas, connecting patterns, asking better questions, and challenging myself academically throughout the journey. I love the feeling of stretching my mind and realising that I am still capable of growing in ways that are not limited by age, job title, family stage or life season.
In many ways, this Master's journey reminded me of a part of myself that has always been there, i.e., the part that enjoys studying not because it is easy but because it gives me a sense of meaning, and I love finding satisfaction in understanding something more deeply.
Why Academic Excellence Mattered to Me
Receiving the Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah Scholastic Award made this journey even more meaningful.
I know awards do not define a person's worth, and achievement is never the full measure of a life. But I would be dishonest if I said this recognition did not matter to me deeply.
There is something powerful about being recognised at this stage of life. In our 40s, many of us are already used to being responsible, capable and practical. We often do what needs to be done without expecting too much applause. We keep the household running, meet work deadlines, show up for our children, and manage the emotional load of many things at once.
So when recognition does come, it can touch a deeper place than we expect.
For me, the award was meaningful not because it made the journey valid, but because it reminded me that effort, discipline and persistence do matter. It reminded me that academic excellence was not something I had left behind in my younger years; I could still return to study, do it seriously, and complete it well.
It was an honour to receive the award on stage from Professor Dato' Elizabeth Lee, Group CEO of Sunway Education. That moment will stay with me for a long time.
More Than a Qualification
Looking back, this Master's journey gave me much more than a qualification.
It gave me confidence and intellectual energy and reminded me that learning is still one of the places where I feel most alive.
It helped me reconnect with a part of myself that enjoys academic challenge, critical thinking and the discipline of doing something properly.
It also made me wonder whether academia may be a path I can one day contribute to meaningfully. I do not know yet how that path will unfold, and I am not rushing to define everything too quickly. But I know that this journey has opened a door in me.
It has reminded me that some interests do not disappear simply because life becomes full. Some dreams do not expire. They simply wait for the right version of us to return.
Done and dusted, for now.
Once a Sunwayian, always a Sunwayian.
