Melissa is at the middle in black top, presenting to the girls about her University life

Refer to Melissa's previous story here 

Refer to the beginning of Melissa's journey here 

For the uninitiated, Melissa* is one of the eight Former Residents under our support who is doing her ACCA at Sunway University (under the Jeffrey Cheah’s scholarship). She is now approaching the end of her studies with only two papers left. As she is reaching the end of the bridge of this journey, things just got better for her. She secured a full time position with one of the big “fives” of the audit firms and we’re really elated for her.

However, we did not want her to leave us without having a sense of wanting to bridge back to the other girls back at Shelter 2. It was actually honestly difficult for her as she has already left the home for almost 4 years. The girls that she once knew have all left and there are many unfamiliar faces that she felt like she’s entering a home that she no longer recognize. Nevertheless, she tried - she even volunteered to help be a temporary caregiver to them when the caregivers at the home were all out for the organization’s staff retreat.

The opportunity came when a program known as “Didik Kasih” from Great Heart Charity Association (GHCA) asked if any of our Former residents needed allowance support. Melissa was one of the applicants and they awarded her with their support but it comes with a responsibility. She is to organize a “give back” event to any charitable organization of her choice. She chose Shelter 2 and asked for advice from the Case worker and what she could do to give back to them. He shared to her “Go back and inspire them with your own personal journey, let them know the kind of blessings you’ve gotten with Jeffrey Cheah’s scholarship and what it takes to get it”.

She really liked that idea and she did a presentation to the girls at Shelter 2 with photos of Sunway University on what to expect and to excite them on having the opportunity to study in such a prestigious and amazing campus. After which, she had a Q&A session with them as well. We really hope that many burning questions from the girls would come forth in this session as it is common for them to be anxious about their own future. To us, there’s no other better person to inspire them on their next part of their journey than a resident that comes from the same home that they are from.

We are thankful to GHCA for having their own staff in helping to journey through with Melissa in the organizing of this give back. Melissa must not only come up with the objectives and itinerary, she will also need to show how she would be utilizing the set budget given by GHCA as well.

We hope and pray that this would turn out well for the girls and may we see more of them becoming scholars like Melissa! Melissa’s dream really came true :)

We also just got news that she finally passed her last two papers of ACCA that she took last December.....she has officially GRADUATED!!! 

*Name has been changed to protect her identity