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Faith, courage and determination lead to MBA
Travelling 6,500km from Malaysia to attend her University of the Sunshine Coast graduation ceremony recently was a relatively easy task for Katherine Poh compared to the difficult journey she has been on over the past few years.
The 56-year-old Master of Business Administration graduate from Petalilng Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after starting her MBA studies at USC in 2006.
But the courageous Executive Director (International) for the GIST International College in Suzhou, China, was so determined to complete her online degree that she even initially kept her diagnosis a secret from her family.
“It was a nightmarish sort of journey as I had seven operations just to remove a tumour in my breast,” she said. “Though it was a first-stage cancer, it completely disrupted my life.
“I was very determined to live on. I told myself that I will complete my course and join my fellow course mates in the graduation ceremony at the Sunshine Coast and not in Malaysia.
“I am now completely healed, by the grace of God, and I would like to spend the last leg of my life making it significant by contributing my services in education.”
Katherine currently oversees most of the major international developments for her educational institution in Suzhou, China, as well as the college’s regional office in Malaysia.
Already holding a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Administrative Management, she was drawn to study her MBA via USC because of its interactive online learning environment, friendly staff and its unique name.
“I often joked with my friends that I enrolled in an Australian university that will help me to grow and shine (in my career) with its flexible arrangement,” she said.
Katherine said her MBA studies had helped her develop a more analytical mind and an increased awareness that education involves lifelong learning.
“Whether gaining valuable skills sets and qualifications for employment or exploring one's interest in a particular area, I believe the MBA program at USC provides many options for people to realise their full potential and gain direction,” she said.
Katherine said she had enjoyed interacting with other MBA students online and was impressed by the level of support she had received from academics, IT staff and Student Services.
She was justifiably proud to attend her graduation ceremony at Sippy Downs on 30 September, relishing the opportunity to meet some of her lecturers and fellow students and to shake hands with USC’s Chancellor John Dobson OAM.
“One should always make the trip if you are to graduate from a university,” she said. “Nothing beats knowing what the university looks like and to be proud to be one of its graduates.
“Having been here, I can see why it is such a conducive environment for study, with lots of sunshine and laughter, coupled with the friendly people surrounding you.”
— Terry Walsh