Uniten Student Wins The Diana Award 2023

ByE NEWSJuly 11, 20231 Mins read289

Nehemiah Aaron Nathan

PUTRAJAYA, 11 July 2023 – Nehemiah Aaron Nathan, 25, did the country proud when he received the 2023 Diana Award. Nehemiah, who is a Tunku scholar studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) is one of the two Malaysians among 200 youths worldwide presented with the accolade for social action or humanitarian efforts.

Nehemiah was nominated by his university lecturer and club advisor, Dr. Evelyn Yeap Ewe Lin, to receive this award. The virtual award ceremony, held on 1 July 2023, marks the 62nd anniversary of Diana’s birth. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the awards are given out to youth aged 9 to 25 for going above and beyond in their lives to create and sustain positive change and for their social actions or humanitarian work.

Nehemiah co-founded ‘The EduLab’, a social enterprise aimed to improve English proficiency among Malaysian students, especially in the B40 community. Nehemiah and his friends, Syaarveni, Ho Jia, Lee Mei Yan dan Chan Yew Joe, developed the
‘Zing! Engish Card Game’, using a game-based learning approach to help children stay engaged with learning English. The impact is tangible with over 850 children from 15 government primary schools and tuition centres within the Klang Valley area benefitting from the programme and experiencing gains in their English literacy.

Nehemiah said he was truly humbled, honored, and thankful to God that the Diana Award saw in him a worthy recipient. He claimed that as one of the two Malaysians chosen for the 2023 Diana Award, he felt incredibly privileged to represent the nation.

“Those engaged in social action comprehend the gravity of this recognition as it takes a holistic approach to the person. We frequently hear that we can work towards an award, but the Diana Award is different since it is an independent acknowledgment of one’s capacity to drive genuine change,” he said.

The initiative has also garnered recognition from esteemed organizations like McKinsey & Co. and the U.S. Department of State, and the impact is growing steadily. Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of UNITEN, Prof. Ir. Dr. Noor Azuan, extends his heartfelt congratulations to the students for their remarkable achievement. “I have great hopes that UNITEN students will rise to prominence, making their mark not only at the national level but also on the international stage,” he said.