Motivated by a common drive and passion of helping others to help themselves, WOU Student Ambassadors Chong Wan Siang and Ravichandran Jeyacelan decided to reach out and persuade their family and friends to study at the people’s university.
And for their efforts, the duo not only had the satisfaction of seeing their loved ones take up the challenge of tertiary education, they emerged as winners of last semester’s WOU Friends & Family Scheme (F&F) with a paid Open Distance Learning (ODL) academic excursion to Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) in Bangkok in July 2008.
“I try to encourage my friends and family to take up a degree at WOU because the programmes offered are flexible yet affordable and there’s no excuse for anyone to say they have no time to study,” said Chong, a 38-year-old mother of four.
She is now into her into her third semester for Bachelor of Business in Accounting at WOU. She has to date introduced 16 new students, including her husband. What is the secret to her zeal and where does she find the time? Well, she pushes herself through sheer initiative to send as many text messages as possible, telling her friends simply, “Your future is in your hands, why not give WOU a try!”
She also keeps stacks of WOU brochures in her office in Seremban. “They come in handy when customers walk in as it has become a sort of habit to pass the brochures to all who drop by.”
Meanwhile for Bachelor of Technology in Electronics student Ravichandran, studying at WOU has taken a ‘family affair’ flavour as three of his younger brothers are also currently taking up degree programmes at the university.
“I like to often share my experiences and it is more fun studying together with people close to my heart”, he said. He has so far introduced 12 students to enrol, the majority being his colleagues at Infineon Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd, a semiconductor manufacturing firm in Melaka.
The WOU F&F Scheme encourages students to become ambassadors and introduce the university to friends and family through word of mouth. More than 20 WOU students participated in the F&F Scheme last semester. This semester’s F&F Scheme ends on July 13, 2008. To participate or find out more about the F&F Scheme, visit wou.edu.my or your nearest WOU Regional Office.
