Jay's success a matter of balance

Student Achievement

At 23, Malaysian-born Jay Ron Wong is pretty close to achieving a well-balanced lifestyle.

And it speaks volumes for someone who arrived in Adelaide in 2002 from Kuala Lumpur to undertake a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Adelaide without family or friends - but with a dogged determination to succeed.

Fast-forward events and you have a mature individual, who has not only maximised every opportunity but also become a class act in the process.

This much was evidenced at a recent Gala Dinner held at the Hilton Hotel to celebrate Malaysia's Merdeka Day (Day of Independence), where Jay won the top award at an event hosted by the Australia-Malaysia Business Council.

The competition, which is open to Malaysian students studying at South Australia's three universities, called for a student who is a good ambassador for SA; has contributed towards developing strong relationships between SA and Malaysia; shared their experiences with the wider community; and demonstrated outstanding achievement.

According to the judges, Jay was "head and shoulders" about the others.

"This means a great deal to me. To say I am honoured would be understating how I truly feel," Jay said.

"I was also humbled by the presence of the Foreign Minister, the Hon. Alexander Downer, and many senior academic leaders. This made me realise how prestigious the award is."

But the key to this young man is balance, and his ability to manage the accolades and successes. And this is but one of many he has already enjoyed.

He is a recipient of the Malaysia Australia Colombo Plan Commemoration and Adelaide University Scholarship; the Dean's Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Achievement in 2002, 2003 and 2004; the 2002 Aquinas College Academic Award; and during his high school education in Malaysia, he won an Entrance Scholarship and Best Student Award in Chemistry.

As a member of the Malaysian water polo team, he represented his country at the South-East Asia Games in Malaysia; at the World Cup qualifiers in Iran; the 2nd Asian Clubs water polo championship in Malaysia; and training camps and friendlies in Hong Kong, China and Singapore.

Besides also excelling at swimming and soccer, and enjoying his newfound love of Aussie Rules Football, he has already secured a position with Santos as part of a three-year graduate development program.

"This is a fabulous opportunity and my goal now is to remain in Australia and fulfil my role as an engineer by contributing towards improving the quality of life of the community," he said.

Mechanical engineering, "for whatever the reason," says Jay, is firmly on the Wong's radar screen. Jay's twin Jay Wyn and his older brother Jay Vern (28) all chose the same career paths.

And his parents? His father has a successful printing business in Kuala Lumpur, while Mum is a retired nurse currently involved in voluntary work!

And you can rest assured they are taking a close interest in Jay Ron's role as aerodynamics team leader in Formula SAE, a project for final year engineering students to design, build and finance a race car to compete against other Australian universities in December this year.

Story by Howard Salkow