I recently said yes to something that’s been on my heart for years — I’ve accepted an offer to pursue a Master’s in Sport Science (Research Mode) at Universiti Malaya.
Part-time. After years of not being a student.
And I’m filled with a mix of emotions — excitement, nervousness, gratitude, and an overwhelming sense of this is right.
This hasn’t been an easy road. Life, as of late, has been heavy. I’ve been navigating mental health struggles, moments of self-doubt, and personal transitions that I didn’t always feel ready for. But somehow, even in the middle of all that, this door opened. And I know — this is more than coincidence. This is divine timing. This is alignment.
For the longest time, I wasn’t sure when or how I’d get here. But I always knew I wanted to further my studies — not just for a qualification, but to grow deeper into the kind of coach, educator, and leader I’ve always hoped to become.
Now, with better clarity, I’ve found my focus:
Women’s football coaching and sport nutrition.
Topics that feel personal. Purposeful. Powerful.
Topics that connect my lived experience, my passion, and my calling.
Studying at Universiti Malaya — Malaysia’s No. 1 university — still feels a little surreal.
Not because UKM wasn’t good (it gave me so much), but because I’ve always quietly wondered: What would it be like to study here?
Now I get to find out.
And I’m proud of that. I’m proud of me.
I used to hold back from celebrating myself out loud. I let people’s doubts, criticisms, and judgments shrink my voice. I’ve had to listen to words that belittled my dreams — some from others, some from my own inner critic. But not anymore.
This is my season of reclaiming.
Reclaiming my voice.
Reclaiming my worth.
Reclaiming the right to dream out loud and walk boldly toward it.
Yes, I’m scared. It’s been years since I last sat in a classroom or wrote an academic paper.
But I’m not the same person I was back then.
I’ve grown. I’ve led. I’ve coached. I’ve survived. I’ve rebuilt myself, again and again.
So even if it’s messy, even if I fumble — I trust that I’ll find my way.
This Master’s isn’t just for a title. It’s for the girl who used to dream quietly in the corner.
It’s for the woman I’m becoming — stronger, softer, smarter, and more sure.
It’s for the young athletes I’ll guide one day.
It’s for all the girls who never saw women like us leading on the field, in the lab, or in the lecture hall.
And most of all, it’s for me.
Because I deserve this.
Because this is how I grow.
No matter how hard life has been, I choose to believe that this is God showing me the way forward — not as punishment, but as preparation.
And I’m ready. Scared, but ready.
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