When she was diagnosed with a tumour at 16, Eunice Wong Luo Ee experienced a deep sense of helplessness and fear.

A patient with prolactinoma, which is a benign pituitary tumour that produces a hormone called prolactin, she had to undergo treatment in her home state, Sarawak.

With her family’s support and the care provided by her doctors, Wong pulled through not only physically but also emotionally.

“I remember the compassion and dedication of my doctors at every follow-up. They didn’t just treat my disease but took the time to reassure my family and me.

“My treatment worked effectively, allowing me to significantly reduce the size of the tumour,” she said.

The 21-year-old added that her experience was life-changing, as it was then that she realised she wanted to pursue medicine – not only to save lives but also to provide the same comfort and hope she had felt during her treatment.

A Star Education Fund scholarship recipient, Wong is now on track to realising her dream, ha­­ving been granted the opportu­ni­ty to pursue a Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine at Monash University Malaysia.

“Pursuing medicine at Monash has always been my dream. This scholarship will provide the support needed to focus fully on my studies without the burden of financial stress.

“My father is a tuition teacher, while my mother is a primary school teacher. My father does not have a stable income, so enrolling in medicine is very stressful for my parents.

“In addition, the burden of financially supporting my two siblings’ university fees amid the increasing living costs weighs heavily on my parents,” she said at the Star Education Fund scholarship award presentation ceremony for the year 2024 at Menara Star here yesterday.

Wong said she has set her sights on becoming an oncologist specialising in cancer research and treatment.

Fellow student Nur Aisyah Khairul Hezry, 20, is also living out her dream of pursuing tertiary studies under the fund’s scholarship.

Like Wong, Nur Aisyah has had to battle health issues, and her experience too influenced her tertiary choice.

“Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with astrocytoma, a tumour in my spine that left me temporarily unable to walk for two years and required 70 cycles of chemothe­rapy. I was on leave from school for two years.

“I doubted whether I would survive chemotherapy. But over time, I realised that it’s not chemotherapy that cancer patients fight the most – it’s their own emotions,” she said.

“Many people struggle to control their emotions during hard times, and this inspired me to study psychology.”

The Sunway University student from Selangor expressed her grati­tude for the scholarship.

“Finances have always been a challenge, especially due to my health issues. My father had to leave his job to focus on my treatment. Even now, medical costs remain a higher priority than education,” she said.

She expressed hope of becoming a child psychologist one day.

Since its inception in 1994, the Star Education Fund has benefited 4,520 recipients, with RM170mil worth of scholarships awarded.

Star Media Group group chief executive officer Chan Seng Fatt said a total of 81 scholarships valued at RM5.78mil have been awarded for the 2024 scholarship cycle.

“This achievement would not have been possible without the generosity of our 26 esteemed partners-in-education,” he said.

At the ceremony, Chan also launched the Star Education Fund Scholarship Awards 2025.

“We are excited to announce that for 2025, the Star Education Fund will be offering 214 scholarships valued at over RM14.24mil – one of our biggest milestones yet!” he said.

The fund will be running for the 32nd consecutive year this year.

Applications for this year’s edition are targeted to open in April.