The fast-changing nature of work has prompted many Singaporeans to upgrade their skills to stay relevant. TODAY’s Voices section is publishing first-hand accounts of young Singaporeans who have recently done so to give their careers a boost, or even pursue new paths in life.

In this inaugural instalment, Ms Nur Sabrina Mohamed Khalid, 26, describes how despite being a wheelchair user requiring an ostomy bag, she has not lost her drive to learn. She juggled her frequent medical appointments with her studies and successfully attained a degree in cybersecurity.

“Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought with ardour and attended to with diligence.” I resonate with this quote by Abigail Adams — the first woman to serve as Second Lady of the United States — to never stop learning despite my medical condition.

In September 2018, I felt myself gradually losing strength in my legs and started using my grandmother's wheelchair.

I thought it was just a temporary weakness.

When my condition did not improve after a month, I visited Tan Tock Seng Hospital and got admitted for further examination.

I was diagnosed with tuberculous meningitis and pulmonary tuberculosis. By then, I was already paralysed from the waist down and had lost all sensation in my legs.

I also lost control of my bowel movements, and had to use a long-term urinary catheter.

In 2020, I underwent surgery to fit an ostomy bag, which collects waste from the body.

My wheelchair is my “freedom to mobility” now. I am unsure if I will remain a person with paraplegia for the rest of my life, but I hope to stand and walk again.

Whatever the case, I will continue to live as it is and focus on improving physically and mentally.

In May 2018, shortly before my diagnosis, I obtained a diploma in IT Service Management from Republic Polytechnic (RP).

Soon after, I enrolled in RP’s Academy for Continuing Education’s SkillsFuture Work-Study Programme.

I took up a specialist diploma in Cloud Architecting and Management as I wanted to learn more about how enterprises are integrating cloud solutions into their daily operations.

During that time, I landed a job as an Amazon Web Services consultant, assisting in software testing.

Unfortunately, I was hospitalised during my finals and took my exam in an unoccupied room prepared by the hospital with my lecturer in attendance.

I am grateful for such accommodation, and I successfully attained my specialist diploma in June 2019.

Soon after, I decided to focus more on my health. I recuperated in hospital after my ostomy bag surgery in June 2020 and was discharged two months later.

Despite being in hospital, I was busy researching potential universities to pursue my passion for cybersecurity.

I became interested in the subject after taking a security module during my diploma and wanted to gain knowledge about security breaches and how to mitigate them.

After my condition stabilised, I enrolled part-time at Edith Cowan University via PSB Academy to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security in September 2020

In my first semester of university, I juggled work, frequent medical appointments and my studies simultaneously.

During this time, I was an administrator testing the functionalities of a company’s website from April 2020 to March 2021.

My medical appointments constantly clashed with my work schedule.

Flexibility was not up for discussion. In the evenings, I had to log into my classes remotely from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

After a year, I decided to juggle only my medical appointments and my studies. I made this official by handing in my resignation.

With the support of my family, lecturers and administrations from both universities throughout my learning journey, I am proud to say that I am now a cybersecurity graduate.

Thanks to a job coach from disability charity SPD, I now work as a quality assurance engineer at Business Buddy, a website and mobile application developer.

My role is to test for bugs in websites and apps before their official release. I also liaise with clients to assist them with their clarifications and participate in the development phase.

I am incredibly grateful for every milestone in my academic journey that I have achieved before and during my sickness.

I plan to further upgrade my skills by sitting for The Computing Technology Industry Association’s cybersecurity certifications in the future.

Thank you to everyone who has assisted me during my learning journey. My advice to others who are contemplating their own path?

Set a goal and do your best to strive towards it. Grab the opportunity to learn and commit to it. Rest when you need a break but do not stay there for too long.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Ms Nur Sabrina Mohamed Khalid, 26, is a cybersecurity graduate from‌ Edith Cowan University via PSB Academy. She graduated in August 2022 and is now a quality assurance engineer with Business Buddy.

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by NUR SABRINA MOHAMED KHALID

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