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UNBOUND brings together stories that don’t follow a single path – shaped by real-world challenges, lived experience, and the ideas that emerge along the way. From research to community impact, these are the stories behind SUSS.
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She Once Wondered If University Was for Her. Now She Wants a PhD.
30 Oct 2026|3 Mins Read
A diagnosis midway through university changed how Nur Asherah Asteroth Azlie understood difficulties she had lived with for years. She and fellow adult learner Emily Ho found that finishing a degree while working required more than determination alone.
For years, Nur Asherah Asteroth Binte Azlie doubted whether university was for her.
She had struggled academically in secondary school and polytechnic, and those experiences stayed with her when she eventually pursued a part-time degree while working full-time as a researcher.
Asherah's love for biomedical sciences and her husband's unwavering support gave her the
confidence and courage to pursue further studies.
Then, during her university studies, she was diagnosed with ADHD and autism.
“After I got diagnosed, everything suddenly fell into place. For the first time in my life, I understood why I had struggled and was better able to focus for long periods of time. It felt as though the constant noise in my head had finally quietened,” she says.
The diagnoses offered an explanation, but getting through university still meant finding ways to manage the competing demands on her time.
Asherah completed her Biomedical Engineering degree part-time while working full-time in a biomedical research laboratory. In a separate interview with Berita Harian, she described full days at work followed by evening classes, with studying sometimes continuing late into the night. Her husband, Hanief Hamzah, would keep her company during some of those long study sessions.
She also spoke about the frustration of her final-year project, when experiments repeatedly failed over several months and she worried about whether she would be able to complete her studies. Her interest in biomedical science kept her working at it.
At work, mentors were also giving her opportunities to take on research projects rather than simply conduct experiments. Greater responsibility allowed her to test herself beyond the classroom.
Making a Degree Fit Around Life
Emily Ho came to university from a different starting point.
Working in strategic programmes at an IT company, she had long wanted to pursue a degree in communications, a subject she enjoyed and saw as relevant to her career. Her challenge was fitting a degree around work and family commitments.
“This journey was not only about discipline and focus, but about intentional growth,” Emily says.
Despite her busy schedule, Emily always makes time for family, including enjoying breakfast with her grandfather.
Despite her busy schedule, Emily always makes time for family, including enjoying breakfast with her grandfather.
Over three years, she completed her degree while continuing to work and manage her responsibilities at home. She also found time for three overseas study trips, community service, and mentoring.
Emily is now considering a Master’s degree in Communication. As a Silver Generation Ambassador, she hopes to use what she learns to help bridge communication gaps between older and younger generations.
Asherah’s ambitions have taken on a more personal direction.
“I aim to pursue a PhD next year to continue building my career as a researcher and contribute to meaningful discoveries. My wish is to build on my experience in molecular genetics and expand into other biomedical fields, contributing to better ways to diagnose and treat diseases.”
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UNBOUND brings together stories that don’t follow a single path – shaped by real-world challenges, lived experience, and the ideas that emerge along the way. From research to community impact, these are the stories behind SUSS.
Keep up-to-date by subscribing to our monthly LinkedIn newsletter.
Subscribe on LinkedIn