Advice from Jonathan Yabut
Advice from Jonathan Yabut
“ I realised when I was younger, I wanted to become everything. I wanted to become a lawyer, doctor, painter, and the next singer in the Philippines. But one day when I was a 17 year-old freshman at the University of Philippines, I touched my right breast and found a big lump there. My mother thought it was a pimple but it was actually a cyst. I clearly remember what the doctor said:“ Jonathan, it’ s a cyst and we have to take it out because it could be breast cancer. We have to find out whether it’ s benign or malignant.” That was the scariest time of my life. I kept asking myself,“ Why, of all people, should I be the one bearing this kind of problem?” Thankfully, the cyst was benign- this is why I’ m here, sharing this lesson with all of you. That experience made me realise that sometimes, you have to make that one big leap. If you want something so bad, you have to strike while the iron is still hot because you never know when the clock will stop ticking for you. You may be laughing today, but tomorrow you may be dead. I hope that all of you realise that there is a certain point in your life when you have to make that one decision and say,“ I’ m going to commit to this and I’ m going to get it right.” That’ s what makes successful people successful.”
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR WINNERS
FICTION WRITING, 13 – 17 YEARS OLD:
1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
: Chin Yoki, Sri Cempaka International School: Siti Azren Fazyani Binti Mohd Faisal, SMK Membakut II: Jacey Hen Hue Tyng, SMK Seri Bintang Utara
FICTION WRITING, 18 – 21 YEARS OLD:
1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
: Abigail Shannon Chua, Kolej Yayasan Saad International School: Adhlin Fadhlina Binti Hazran, UiTM Shah Alam: Kirenraj A / L Rajendran, SMK Penang Free
NON-FICTION WRITING, 13 – 17 YEARS OLD:
1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
: Rachel Ng Qian Ying, KLC Resource Centre: Sindhiya Devi A / P Anbananthan, SMK Perempuan Methodist Ipoh: Mohamad Azri Bin Ismail, SMK Dato Biji Wangsa
NON-FICTION WRITING, 18 – 21 YEARS OLD:
1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place
: Nur Afiqah Dalili Binti Mohd Fadzil, CFS IIUM: Ahmad Hariz Bin Ahmad Hilmi, CFS IIUM: Nur Amirah Binti Md Nor, CFS IIUM
18 PERDANA MAGAZINE 2016