Last Updated on 2017-08-17 , 2:25 pm

“I am glad that I proved that EM3 and ITE is not IT’S THE END.”

That’s what NUS Masters degree holder Zhang Zhi Rong had to say with regards to his commencement.

On 14 July, Zhi Rong posted a heartfelt message on Facebook about the trials and tribulations he had to face on his education journey. He starts off by recounting his struggles as a student from the EM3 and Normal Technical streams.

First, the journey of my education has never been easy. I have gone through a longer education path than others. I have struggled through EM3 -> Normal Technical.

After failing the O Levels English Paper thrice, Zhi Rong’s only option was to go through ITE (2 years) and polytechnic (3 years) if he was to be considered for a spot in university – spending a good 4 years more than regular JC kids. He told Goody Feed:

“When I was serving my National Serving my National Service, my education did not stop. When I was performing my night duties, I would bring along my grammar or vocabulary assessment books to practice while I took my break. I took my English Language Ordinary Level Examination as a private candidate and got a D seven. I did not give up and continued taking it. During my first year in polytechnic, I consistently worked hard and was awarded the Director Roll Award. In my second year, my grades dropped slightly due to my part-time job commitment 4 days a week. In my third year, I changed to a more flexible part-time job which allowed me to have more time for my studies. I worked hard in order to catch up on my GPA score. At the end of the three years of my polytechnic education, I scored an average GPA 3.807.”

Upon completing tertiary education, Zhi Rong thought everything would be smooth-sailing from then on out – after all, he had a final GPA of 3.807. But he was rejected from SUTD, which was where he originally wanted to study at, and had to make an appeal to get into NUS. But what he gleaned from this experience wasn’t resentment; rather, the “many years of struggle” taught him perseverance and humility.

Today, I am glad that I proved that EM3 and ITE is not IT’S THE END. I have finally got my MASTER after so many years of struggle.

The NUS graduate then goes on to thank the people in his life who had his back from the start. He specifically singles out his parents for their continual love and support, which ultimately led to him being a more “independent, determined and motivated” person.

Secondly, I’m truly thankful to my parents and step father Tony Chia for their support in any ways that they have given me. Even though they did not provide me a perfect family like others. But in return, I have been learning to be more independent, determination and motivation in life. I’m glad my Dad and Mum are here to witness my hard work today.

Finally, he sends his appreciation to any cousins and friends who have helped him along the way, and his primary school teacher for “staying overnight to proofread my Dissertation and giving me free English lesson on every week till now”. Humble AND capable. Truly an inspiration to us all.

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Image: Zhang Zhi Rong / Facebook

This post was first published on goodyfeed.com