Image via Vanmitha
Having the courage to dream big and daring to fail are two characteristics that not many people possess, especially among the younger generation because they’re afraid to take risks. But this 21-year-old’s dream reaches so high that she wants to touch the stars—literally.
Vanmitha Athimoolam, an engineering student at Universiti Sains Malaysia, is one of the unsung heroes in the DIGIyin Saathanai Hero-kkal campaign and she aspires to become an astronaut one day.
Her interest in space started when she first saw the 2005 film Zathura: A Space Adventure. She was so fascinated by the idea of life beyond earth and her curiosity continued to grow.
One day, she told her parents that she wanted to be an astronaut. Coming from a middle-class family, they were hesitant because going to space is something almost unheard of in Malaysia, with the exception of Dato’ Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.
Image via Vanmitha
However, after seeing how serious she was about this ambition, they advised her to work very hard. Since then, she began to take her education seriously.
Despite studying hard, the young lady’s journey wasn’t a smooth one. She used to face comments and criticisms about how there’s no future for astronauts in Malaysia. She was told to “Forget your dream, do something ordinary like medicine or law, or become a teacher.” Sounds familiar? This is a pretty common response when people hear about unconventional career paths.
She nearly gave up because she was under the impression that she had to go overseas to pursue this. Plus, she found out that NASA had only accepted American citizens in 2017. What a blow it was to her aspiration and self-confidence!
Image via Free Malaysia Today
Yet, all hope was not lost for Vanmitha. She discovered a local space non-governmental organisation (NGO) and attended their annual general meeting held at Planetarium Negara. “I met a bunch of people with the same mindset as me, working towards building a strong space industry in Malaysia. That gave me my hope back,” she told Free Malaysia Today.
She continued to fuel her passion and guess what? She ended up as a finalist at the International Career Astronaut 2020, a global competition organised by AdvancingX!
Although she and her team didn’t win the competition, the knowledge and experience she gained throughout the project were more than she could ask for.
She has faced several rejections, criticisms and roadblocks since she first decided to become an astronaut. But each obstacle is a learning experience as she keeps moving forward with her family’s support.
She may have a long journey ahead of her, but it’s certainly looking bright. She also hopes to inspire other young women to participate in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and not let gender be a stumbling block.
“It’s the people who don’t achieve their dreams who try to stop you from getting to yours. When people say you have no future, you have to believe that the future must be created by you. It’s in your hands. Focus on yourself and your dream, and don’t give up easily,” she said.
As Vanmitha shared, you only fail when you stop trying. So let’s dream big, dare to fail, and keep going!
As part of the DIGIyin Saathanai Hero-kkal campaign, we’re constantly looking to share stories of Malaysian ‘superheroes’ that live amongst us.
If you know a hero or if you have an inspirational story about overcoming challenges, we’d love to hear from you. Just submit your story at RAAGA’s website or click the image above.
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