Rajendra Lavan

”I’m a true-blue Malaysian, born and bred in the Pearl of The Orient, Penang. I’m also proud graduate of Curtin University (Class of 2017), graduating with a Bachelors of Commerce in Tourism, Hospitality & Marketing and Management at Curtin Malaysia.

“I am currently heading the Creative Arts Department at PACTS Education Club House, Penang, which is a homeschool that started in Miri, Sarawak. I chose to be part of PACTS because I am interested in promoting a different kind of classroom and educational approach. I believe children should be the main participants in class, allowed to discover knowledge, while teachers merely guide them in the right direction. When a student is confident, he or she will readily stand up and express an opinion in a determined but considerate way, and be able to substantiate it with facts. This is what our society needs and we teachers have to help them students build such traits.

“It may seem strange that I’m teaching and heading the Creative Arts Department when I studied something completely different. That’s because when I was pursuing my degree at Curtin Malaysia, I was an active member, student advisor and president of the Curtin Theatre Arts Club and creativity and performing became my passions.

“I’m really proud to be a Curtin graduate. The university taught me a lot, not only academically but also a lot of valuable skills which I will remember for the rest of my life. Most of all, it taught me to believe in myself and to chase my dreams. To my juniors, I would caution that the road head won’t be easy. There will be lots of obstacles, missed opportunities and times when you just want to give up. It can also be lonely journey. Nothing worthwhile is easy, and you need to keep pushing yourself. You decide between success and failure, and what kind of person you would like to be.” –Rajendra Lavan, Tourism, Hospitality & Marketing graduate