“Whatever you study, don’t forget to write about us…” A simple request made in a single breath, yet its significance stayed with Dawn for a very long time. It is a reminder that kept her company as she fought the good fight to make education accessible for all.
Dawn Scholastica Adrian is of Iban descent and is one of the many indigenous groups in Sarawak, Malaysia. Most Ibans, along with other minority tribes in Sarawak, often live in rural areas and are of underprivileged background. The combination of these two can make education seem like a long stretch.
“Hey, you’re Iban, you’re not going to get far!” Dawn shared her dad’s story of being prejudiced by another student because he was one of the few minority students who had the opportunity to study. An experience shared by many at the time. “When you grow up in that kind of environment where you’re constantly being told you’re not going to be much because of who you are…it sucks,” Dawn added as she wiped her teary eyes.
The story highlighted a deeper issue. “We must recognise that most children in Malaysia do not have the same starting point when they start school.” The divide that Dawn pointed out is essentially an issue of the privileged versus the less privileged. “Typically, students in the cities have access to better and quality education, but the same can’t be said for those living in rural areas. What happens then is that the rural student’s education gets disrupted, affecting where they end up in life,” said Dawn.
Recognising her place and being privileged enough to study, Dawn felt that it was her responsibility to make a difference and give back to her community. Her opportunity to do so arrived in an offer letter to pursue a master’s degree in international educational development at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Doing my masters opened a lot of opportunities for me to work on different projects. When I was doing an internship with UNESCO, I got to work with 40 experts on indigenous education, and it made me think how I can apply some of the solutions here,” said Dawn. It was a very enriching experience, and I can’t be where I am today without Yayasan Khazanah,” she added.
Yayasan Khazanah is the scholarship arm of Yayasan Hasanah, providing individuals like Dawn opportunities to further their studies. Dawn was awarded the Khazanah Lestari scholarship, which enables students like her to further their studies in sustainable development. Unlike most scholarships, Yayasan Khazanah emphasises the importance of leadership so that graduates are equipped to lead within their respective fields.
“During the scholarship process, I had my doubts—no way I’m a leader!” said Dawn as she giggled. “But the people at Yayasan Khazanah believed in me. And because they did, I believed in me too,” she added.
In 2023, Yayasan Khazanah awarded 115 scholarships for students to study locally and abroad. The broad network of students enables them to meet and connect with like-minded people.
“I joined a networking session on Zoom, which made it a lot easier for me to connect with people in my cohort and the global and local scholars of Yayasan Khazanah. The more I got to know them, the more I realised there is a group of us who are really working towards making a better Malaysia,” Dawn said.
Dawn is now an Education Manager at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Her role focuses on advancing transformative education within Malaysia for the Sustainable Development Goals. She aspires to develop a culturally unbiased method for assessing academic performance, factoring in all socio-economic constituents. She is on track with her dream of hopefully becoming Sarawak’s Education Minister, and eventually changing the narrative of Malaysia’s education.
“I do see myself influencing education in Sarawak in the future. I foresee myself taking a very empowering approach, like fully supporting the students and teachers in their endeavours. I know it’ll take years, and I’m not in a rush either. What’s really important to me is building my capacity within the field so that I can do my job with a lot of confidence and conviction,” said Dawn as she smiled.