in #skolafunded, Articles, Doing Good, Education

She’s Going Places.

Canada. Beijing. So, like, literally.

Puah Chien Yee raised one of the highest amounts on Skolafund – a cool RM12, 394 and 90 cents. We catch up with the Dreamer In Action to find out what she’s been up to since then. She reveals the hard work behind the “marathon” campaign, and has a touching message for everyone who believed in her.

Skolafunded is a series where we cover successfully crowdfunded campaigns on Skolafund.

Skolafund: Hi! Welcome to #skolafunded. Let’s start with a short introduction. 

Could you tell us your name, the university and course you’ve graduated from and the MOST interesting fact about yourself?

Puah Chien Yee:  Puah Chien Yee, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bachelor of Management (Honors). I live for exploring the universal, and I will never settle down until the second that I stop breathing.

SF: What have you been doing recently?

PCY: It’s been almost a year since #DreamerInAction (my campaign name) ended. I successfully went to the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada for 1 term of their Study Abroad programme.

A screenshot from Chien Yee’s amazing campaign video (she raised 12.3k in the end).

I’ve unlearned and relearned many things throughout my days in Vancouver. Undoubtedly, the days in Vancouver provided me a lot of spaces to reflect about my past and rethink about the future.

Thus, I decided to look for an internship experience abroad. More than a month after I came back to Malaysia, I went to Beijing for a 6-month internship with a mobile internet company, GWC Inc.

Along the way, I kinda realized that I enjoy the challenges, risks, and the uncertainties of living in different countries under different culture and customs.

And that is what I am living for.

SF: What’s in store for you in the near future? What are your future plans?

PCY: For a long time, I was in a dilemma in deciding: which path should I take upon graduation?

I wanted to run a start-up, focusing on travelling + education for young people in Malaysia, as I think Malaysian youths are lacking exposure to (different) worldviews and adaptability.

I promise that I will pay it forward to people who are in need of help, for the rest of my life. – Puah Chien Yee, #skolafunded

(Inspired? Highlight to share this quote on FB/Twitter!)

However, after a long consideration, I decided to fulfil my 4-year service bond with my scholarship provider, then proceeding to further (my education) with an MBA (Masters in Business Administration), and apply for international transfer opportunities.

Well, it doesn’t mean that I gave up on the start-up plan. I know from the bottom of my heart that I will definitely start it one day in the near future.  

SF: Cool! Okay, let’s talk about crowdfunding. 

How did you first find out about Skolafund? What did you think about us?

PCY: From some crowdfunding articles. It is a great initiative.

All you need to do is visit skolafund.com

That’s a good idea and you can do that right now – to help students just like Chien Yee.

SF: Did you do anything to prepare yourself before the campaign started? How did you feel before starting your Skolafund campaign?

PCY: I researched about other crowdfunding websites and campaigns. I was lucky to get two friends in the team to support me in the preparation (campaign page and video). Besides, I always created and relied on a timeline to track the progress.

[Take a look at the excellent crowdfunding campaign and pitch they made here.]

Full of excitements and worries.

SF: What was the most memorable sweet OR bitter experience you had during your Skolafund campaign?

PCY: Sweet – Every encouraging message from the sponsors. Bitter – When the targeted goal was not achieved.

SF: Could you share 3 pieces of advice for anyone who is thinking of crowdfunding their own education?

PCY: Here are my 3 pieces of advice.

1. Plan Well – Tell YOUR UNIQUE STORY.

Make your campaign page and video inspiring. Get a team if possible, and they could be your best support system as well.

2. Reach Out – Set daily outreach goals.

No matter how’s the response, keep moving and engaging new people, pitch about your campaign and share your story with them. “No pains, no gains”; the harder you try, the returns will be greater. I literally engaged with at least 1,500 people and got nearly 290 sponsors. You can definitely do better than me.

3. Believe in yourself!

This 30-day marathon is not going to be easy. Keep your BIG WHY along with you, and believe that you will make it happen.

She's a Dreamer In Action, and she's looking to pay it forward -Skolafunded

SF: Do you have a message for all everyone who funded and shared your campaign?

PCY: To everyone who believed in #DreamerInAction, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to each and every one of you.

Your small actions had helped me to realise my dream. The experiences of studying abroad definitely widened my horizons and helped me to figure out my direction in life.

All of this wouldn’t have happened without your simple yet meaningful actions.

I promise that I will pay it forward to people who are in need of help, for the rest of my life.

Once again, thank you!

SF: If our readers want to follow you on social media, where can they go?

PCY: Facebook: Puah Chien Yee, or drop me a message at [email protected].

SF: Thank you for being part of #skolafunded! Congratulations on all of your achievements and all the best for the future ahead. We’re proud to have been part of your journey and we’ll definitely keep in touch (:


We believe that crowdfunding changes lives. #skolafunded is a feature on the Skolafund Blog that aims to cover stories of those whose lives have been changed after crowdfunding on Skolafund.com.

Top stories, previously on #skolafunded:

“Tanpa Kalian, Saya Belum Tentu Di Sini.” Mesej Graduan UMT Untuk Anda

“God sent me Angels.” This Young Wife Thought She Had To Kill Her Savings Just To Stay In School, But…

“Crowdfunding was not just about raising funds – I also received a lot of love.”

 

 

 

 

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