School Guide

“The Natives of Sabah and Sarawak Can Also Achieve Incredible Things.” - Malaysian Scholar Going Stanford, Ivan Avannus

Published by SchoolAdvisor | May 19, 2021

Sabah-born student, Ivan Avannus Jacob Jimbangan has made the country proud with his achievement as the chosen candidate of eight top universities in the world. Out of the eight, five of these universities are Ivy League schools.

He had trouble choosing between the Ivy League schools — Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Dartmouth College and Brown University. The other universities he got accepted into were Stanford University, University of Chicago as well as the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ivan got accepted into 8 top universities in the world.

Eventually, Ivan chooses Stanford University to spend the next few years sharpening his skills and intelligence in Economics. In an exclusive interview with SchoolAdvisor, Ivan expressed his excitement to receive acceptance after acceptance from these top institutions. He said, “I was practically shouting when I saw the word ‘congratulations’ on all of my college decision letters.”

Rarely do we get to hear about students from East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) obtaining such incredible achievements like Ivan. The limited opportunities presented to them is just one of the many reasons why they are not as well-recognised as students from the Peninsular.

Indeed, this journey is personal to Ivan. He has always been motivated to put Sabah in the spotlight. He said, “I think it’s always been a personal mission of mine to show others that the natives of Sabah and Sarawak can also achieve incredible things. I’m always proud of my fellow Malaysians who do incredible things at home and abroad, but it’s rare that we get to see Kadazan, Dusun, Bidayuh, and Iban people being represented.”

Writing Over 50 Essays Was Totally Worth It

Ivan was so determined to pursue his tertiary education in one of the best universities in either the United States and United Kingdom that he wrote over 50 essays to apply to 12 colleges in total. Describing the experience as “tedious but worthwhile,” Ivan learned about himself a lot better as the process of writing forced him to recall the things that he had accomplished throughout his journey in secondary school.

While he pieced together his high school experience, he said, “I realised that I had the most wholesome and rewarding high school experience that I could ever ask for and looking back, there were no regrets.”

Ivan has also received tremendous support from his close friends during this time as they have helped him to read the essays he had written to make sure he stays true to himself and his words reflect him as a person. Among other sources that he found valuable to seek advice from were his seniors, peers and online forums like Reddit.

Going to Stanford University Has Always Been a Childhood Dream

Photo by Stanford University

Stanford University has always been on Ivan’s list of go-to universities since he was a young kid. Ivan thinks that the intersection between the natural sciences and social sciences at Stanford is what makes the institution exceptionally unique.

“Stanford is also right down the street from Google office and other major tech companies. So, as someone who is interested in combining tech with economics, it is a natural choice for me. In fact, Economics is a major that is classified as a STEM extension in Stanford,” he added.

He knows Stanford is the right one for him as he believes that he fits the stereotype of a Stanford student — geeky, nerdy, liberal and very school-spirited. A detailed and particular person, Ivan did not forget to mention that he would “prefer the warm weather of Palo Alto rather than the harsh cold that universities in the East coast would have to offer.”

Extracurricular Activities Help to Polish Critical Thinking Skills

In high school, Ivan was an active student, to say the least. He was diligently involved in extracurricular activities which eventually shaped his skills and personality as a person.

Ivan's team won first prize at the Sime Darby Young Innovators Challenge 2016. The award was presented by former prime minister, Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak.

He led his school’s research and innovation team to compete in international exhibitions in Malaysia’s neighboring countries like Thailand and Indonesia. He was also involved in a business apprenticeship programme called PROTUNe (Program Tunas Niaga) and represented his school under the company Michaelian Millionaires Sdn. Bhd. The company was awarded with Best Performance, Best Report, Best Product and Best Service, while Ivan himself received the Best Manager Award at the annual young entrepreneurs’ convention.

He also prides himself as a water conservation activist, avid debater, and passionate cadet firefighter who “enjoyed every challenge that was thrown at me.”

Ivan was involved in cadet firefighter club in high school.

However, he acknowledges that being in a public school can be tough. The national education system that puts too much emphasis on Science subjects should also consider putting the same appreciation into arts and humanities moving forward.

Schools should strive to give the same attention to both excellent and average students. Ivan noted, “Many public schools prize their top students, but often neglect our weaker students.” This results in inequality where students who excel will continue to excel, while those falling behind will continue to fall behind.

Self-Discipline and Hard Work are the Recipes for Success

For this young man who grew up in a middle class family, he attributes his outstanding achievements to his hard work and strong sense of discipline. Growing up in suburban Sabah, he realised the lack of opportunities and resources available to him as compared to his West Malaysian counterparts.

Thus, he took every opportunity that came his way to give his all and become the best in academic and school projects. He added, “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do your very best!” in order to shine.

Ivan graduated SPM with 9A+ and received an award as one of the top students in the country. When asked about his tips to ace examinations in the middle of a pandemic where students take up lessons from home, he believes in having self-discipline.

Distractions that students face while distance learning are endless which certainly can impact their academic performance. “Having a schedule is a good way to make sure you’re on track,” he advised. Personally, Ivan would allocate his time for studying, relaxing and volunteering.

Doing Volunteering Activities and Community Services is a Lifestyle

Ivan is the founder of Komuhakan Movement which is a youth-led initiative to empower indigenous communities in Sabah. In Kadazan, Komuhakan means youth and true enough, the members of this movement are all aged between 19 to 28 years old to represent the voice of the young people.

The main purpose of this movement is to promote and preserve the culture of the people of Sabah. “The things that we do include researching and writing articles on the various customs, cultures, traditions and history of the Kadazandusun and Sabahan people,” Ivan said.

Last year, having learned about how COVID-19 was affecting the lives of people, especially the vulnerable members of society, Ivan took an initiative with his friends to raise funds to help those in need.

Ivan and his team has organised a writing competition for primary and secondary school students focusing on Kadazandusun language.

“What initially started off as a pledge among my friends to donate a portion of our savings to charity, quickly became a national campaign that would involve hundreds of people and benefit thousands more,” he shared.

Ivan played multiple roles to make the campaign successful. He reached out to MERCY Malaysia, Generasi Gemilang, NGOhub, and Charity Right Malaysia in order to execute the fundraising. In one week, his team was able to raise MYR58,716.57.

Ivan describes the experience as incredibly heartwarming as he got to observe the community coming together to help the less fortunate. He said, “There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing something you start from the comfort of your own home blossom into something that would impact the lives of so many people.”

Even though Ivan’s schedule is packed as a student and volunteer, he does not see the volunteering activities as something burdensome. In fact, he enjoys helping other people and looks forward to going and meeting people on the ground after an intense day of studying.

In a way, community service is a form of therapy for him. He said, “Volunteering and doing community service is more of a lifestyle to me.”

Kindness and Intelligence Can Indeed Move the World

Through his volunteering activities and community service, we can conclude that Ivan is synonymous with kindness. His act of kindness even stood out during his application process.

His fundraising campaign that raised close to RM59,000 caught the attention of the Stanford admissions officer who praised Ivan for his kindness, passion, and intellectual curiosity.

The officer was touched by his activism activities to promote and preserve the indigenous culture of his state, Sabah. “She believes that I do everything with my whole heart,” he added.

Indeed, kindness when coupled with intelligence can turn the world into a much better place. Evidently, Ivan’s act of kindness did not just benefit hundreds of unfortunate people, it also made him stand out from the rest of the applicants.

Through his journey and achievements, Ivan wishes to inspire indigenous students to do incredible things like he does and not be demotivated by the limited resources that they have.

“I hope that with my many achievements, I will be able to inspire other indigenous youths out there and let them know that we too can succeed and do great things not just for ourselves, but for the nation as well.”

Ivan shows the young people of indigenous community how anything is possible in East Malaysia, despite the obstacles they are facing.