Joanne, 7 Times Dean’s List Awarded with Royal Academic Award

Joanne Bong Shan Shan, 24, is the recipient of the Royal Academic Award (Excellence Medal) presented during Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) 13th Convocation Ceremony.

The Kuching-born lass is the holder of Bachelor of Project Management with Hons from Faculty of Industrial Management. She scored a CGPA of 3.90. She is not only outstanding in her academics as reflected in her being on the Dean’s List seven times throughout her study years in UMP but is also actively involved in associations, programmes and club activities, holding various important posts.

Joanne was the treasurer of UMP Student Representative Council (MPP) for two terms – 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. 

For these activities that she had been part of, Joanne said the experience gained formed a platform that led to many opportunities because she had participated in many programmes and met many people from all walks of life.

She also received the Srikandi Award 2015, Most Promising Award 2017 and won three best programmes in the Tokoh Siswa Award 2016 (Student Representative Council Leader Category).
She was also the student development exco member for PEKA3 2014/2015, MPP Advisor for the Chinese New Year Cultural Night 2016, ExpoConvo Treasurer 2016, Treasurer for the induction week (MINDS) 2017, Deputy Director for UMP Career Fair 2016 and 2017, Director for Utilisation & Management Perspective of Bauxite Residue, an active marathon runner and a finalist of the Student Co-Curriculum and Appreciation Award 2017.

Joanne also has a tender side. She may have received good offers from big companies including one from KPMG International Cooperative but the youngest child in the family, she prefers, when necessary, to be with her parents, Bong Shoot Fatt, 64, a pensioner and Yen Ye Guak, 60, a housewife.

Her source of motivation derives from a book titled, ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne. The book is about expressing one’s thought that can help change the world – subscribing to the mantra of ‘if one wants something to happen, it will happen’.

In her final year, Joanne presented a project titled, ‘Quality Management Toward Enhancing Performance of Herbal Company: The Role of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour as Mediator’.
Joanne is now working as a digital analyst at Orion Social Media Sdn. Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur, doing digital market analysis in various digital platforms such Facebook, Instagram and Google.

Among the tasks undertaken included preparing tender proposals, sourcing of potential customers, managing customers’ identities in the digital platforms, managing crisis and making data analysis and report.

She viewed that whatever that she had learned in UMP had been very useful such as from managing groups of interest to managing changes.

As a graduate of project management, Joanne said she was clueless about matters relating to marketing and digital advertisement when first started working. However, she persevered and learned the ropes of the trade and eventually, she succeeded. 
“Life was a learning curve and it would continue to be a life-long learning process. She admitted to making mistakes but she learned from these mistakes,” she added. 
She has her expectations in life but these do not revolve around money, house, car or a rich lifestyle. All she wants is to be happy and hopes that whatever that she is doing, it will impact or serve as an inspiration to others.

By : Nadira Hana Ab Hamid