A teacher who lives her motto
JOSEPHINE Ong Kui Hua left St. Francis' Institution, Melaka, nearly 40 years ago, but one lesson she learnt there as a 19-year-old has carried her through thick and thin.
It can be found in the school motto, 'Age Quod Agis', a Latin phrase that translates to 'Whatever you do, do it well'.
That, the recently retired teacher said, has become her life motto.
Her three-decade-long career serves as a testament to her unwavering spirit.
At the retirement ceremony held at SMK Dato' Shahardin (SMKDS) in Labu, Negri Sembilan, on July 10, school principal Sahrul Sulaiman commended Ong for her dedication and commitment.
'Josephine is a senior assistant who did her level best to raise the name of SMKDS in a short span of 17 months,' he said.
Prior to SMKDS, Ong – born in Segamat, Johor, in 1969 – had served at SMJK Chi Wen for 17 years and SMK Mantin for 12 years, both also in Negri Sembilan.
Throughout her career, she taught History to Form Five students, and for 15 years, she served as the Jempol District Schools Sports Council (MSSD Jempol) basketball coach.
Both fields were close to her heart.
She pursued her bachelor's degree in history with honours at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, before going on to pursue a master's degree in history and a Doctor of Philosophy in history at Universiti Malaya.
Active in sports during her school days at both Notre Dame Convent and St. Francis' Institution, and later at UKM, she competed in basketball for MSSD Melaka Tengah (district level), MSS Melaka (state level) and the Malaysian University Sports Council (intervarsity level).
Ong's educational qualifications also include a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from Raja Melewar Teachers College in Seremban specialising in Malay Studies and Literature, and a Certificate in Vietnamese Language from the Vietnam National University in Hanoi.
Besides guiding students in and beyond the classroom, her role expanded over the years with positions such as Co-Curriculum Senior Assistant and Administration Senior Assistant.
In addition to these promotions, another mark of her outstanding achievements was receiving the Excellence Service Award three times – in 1998, 2009 and 2016.
In her speech at the ceremony, Ong said, 'My hope is for all the teachers at SMKDS to continue fervently to raise the standard of students in the academic field, character as well as co-curriculum, in line with our school's tagline, 'SMKDS, Sekolah Hebat'.
'I also hope our students will study diligently, respect their teachers, parents and friends, and achieve excellent results that will determine their future careers as adults.'
Ong is married to retired teacher Simon Sathiyakumar, and they have a son, Samson.
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