By: Siti Fatimah Natasya Zakaria
Student of Bachelor of Consumer Studies, FEM
SERDANG, JAN 8 - Losing both her sick parents has provided a strong motivation for Tharra Sakinah Abdul Razak, 31, to achieve her dream and graduate with a Master’s in Corporate Communication at the 44th Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Convocation Ceremony 2022 here.
Tharra, eldest of two siblings, said her late mother suffered from kidney disease for the last seven years.
Soon after graduating with a Bachelor's degree, the health of both her parents improved. Thus, she was determined to continue her studies at the Master's level in UPM.
However, she did not expect that while pursuing her Master’s, her mother's condition became critical, and she needed to accompany her mother while at the hospital.
"Throughout my Master’s journey, the hospital was like my first home because I spent much time there as I had to take care of my mother," she said.
Three days into the fourth semester in 2019, her late mother passed away.
For Tharra, the effort of caring for her late mother when she was sick had given her the strength to finish her studies at the Master’s level.
Then, in January 2021, Tharra’s late father took his last breath due to COVID-19.
"For me, the success of my graduation today is dedicated to them, and I believe the blessings of my late parents are among the reasons I am here," she said.
Presently, she is serving in a ministry in Putrajaya, and at the same time, she is planning to step into the business world.
Nevertheless, there have been some sweet memories that she managed to create during her Master's journey with her good friends, such as when they were awarded best presenter under the UNICEF initiative in 2020.
Tharra also shared her experience of furthering her studies as she stressed the importance of having proper time management as a student because, at the same time, she had a huge responsibility of caring for both her late parents. - UPM
