The HIVE team recently caught up with Alesyah Asa, who was recently nominated as one of the Top 10 finalists of the prestigious Global Student Prize. Coming from a humble background, the Keningau Vocational College student has been gaining a lot of attention through her Global Student Prize nomination which comes with the prize of $100,000. Keeping her legs firmly planted on the ground, this young Sabahan girl is breaking all barriers both for girls and her community back home. We hope this interview will provide more insight on Alesyah Asa and her endeavours.
Can you briefly describe yourself?
I am a 20-year-old student of Construction Technology at Keningau Vocational College. I am currently doing my internship at one of the largest construction companies in Sabah, Jutaya, which is based in Keningau. I am from Nabawan and I am the fifth sibling in my family and I am the youngest.
How has the Keningau Vocational College inspired you to do all these fascinating projects?
We have great mentors at Keningau Vocational College. Our teachers always provide us with opportunities to explore many disciplines and one of them is STEM. The college also puts high priority in encouraging students to develop their innovative projects. These are some of the factors that led to my many accomplishments.
You have such an interesting profile, your initiatives range from Science-related projects to tackling misinformation – what are the two biggest challenges you’ve experienced in running these projects?
My challenge is to convince others in my capability and skills. Being a student and on top of it, a woman, poses a certain difficulty since majority of people doubt women and younger people. I am glad things are getting better now for us though.
As a woman of rural background in a male-dominated field (construction), what is your vision for girls’ education in Malaysia?
I want every Malaysian girls to have access to every single opportunity and platform out there. They deserve equal chance to participate in any activities without the need to be seen as incapable or weak.
What does the Global Student Prize award means for you?
It is a celebration of vocational education which is usually seen as an inferior type of education or an education that doesn’t guarantee future success for our students. It is time for people to view vocational education as a type of practical education that prepares youth for careers of their own choices.
The HIVE Team would like to take this opportunity to thank Alesyah Asa for her time to join us for this interview and also, we wish her best in her winning the Global Student Prize 2022 and her journey in life. We hope Alesyah Asa will continue to be a beacon of hope for girls in her community. We would also like to extend our wishes to Chegg.org and the Varkey Foundation for recognising Alesyah Asa’s efforts and making this project a reality for students on a global scale.
HIVE Educators | Cultivating teacher-scholars 
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