16TH OCTOBER 2022, KUCHING, SARAWAK – A 17-year-old SPM candidate from SMK Hajjah Laila Taib, Mohd Haziq Aqil bin Hass, received The Ascendance Founders Award 2022 and a scholarship worth RM50,000 which was awarded by the international youth organisation, Ascendance. In recognition of his tremendous academic progress and career growth over the past year, Mohd Haziq Aqil was selected for this award out of hundreds of students. The Ascendance Founders Award was launched to recognise young individuals who have the potential to create global change.
Ascendance is an international youth organisation that has impacted 35,000 students in 28 countries over the past seven years. Ascendance brings an entrepreneurial mindset to the classroom, guiding students to be solution-driven and goal-oriented. Through their workshops and programs, Ascendance provides equal and equitable access for students to world-class resources to pursue their career and educational endeavours. Over the years, Ascendance has incubated several student-led impact projects and social enterprises, guiding Gen Zs from the idea stage to executing their initiative.
The Ascendance Founders Award includes a scholarship for an all-expense-paid three-month trip from Sarawak to Ascendance’s HQ in Kuala Lumpur. The highlight of the trip is the direct mentorship sessions with the award-winning founders of Ascendance. The scholarship worth RM50,000 will commence in 2023 after his SPM examinations. This young changemaker will get the opportunity to develop his career further and aid him in launching his social impact project.
Haziq at a Press Launch with Ascendance in June 2022.
(Haziq’s first trip to Kuala Lumpur.)
“I was just a normal kid who lacked confidence and communication skills. I didn’t know what I loved to do, nor did I care about what was happening in the world until I joined an online conference [previously known as the New Age Learner Virtual Conference] by Ascendance that taught me about life,” says the award recipient, Mohd Haziq Aqil.
From an ordinary village boy who barely spoke English, Mohd Haziq Aqil has emceed international conferences and built his online show, ‘Ascendance Weekly Round-Up’. Today, he is a top scorer and the Head Prefect of his school. He also represents Sarawak in the ongoing ‘Pertandingan Pidato e-Mas 3.0’ organised by the Malaysian Ministry of Education.
“Thank you to everyone, especially my mentor, for guiding me over the past year. I’m beyond grateful for this award. Most importantly, I would like to thank my parents for their endless support,” added Mohd Haziq Aqil.
Mohd Haziq Aqil received trophies and certificates for his achievements at school in SMK Hajjah Laila Taib, Sarawak.
Harsha Ravindran, the 20-year-old CEO of Ascendance, also congratulated Mohd Haziq Aqil for his achievement. “Haziq has inspired all students around Malaysia. He deserves this award because of the hard work and effort he has put in, not just in Ascendance’s initiatives, but also in developing himself and those around him.”
Mohd Haziq Aqil‘s transformation over the past 12 months has inspired many students nationwide to follow in his footsteps. In his acceptance speech, he shared his message with his fellow Gen Zs: “The key to success is to believe in yourself. Do not care what others might say. You have to focus on your goals and have fun. I reached where I am today with the opportunities that Ascendance gave me. So take the first step and see where it takes you.”
Mohd Haziq Aqil shares his journey with Ascendance with his peers.
