I am Porthea Bawing Ului Anyi, a 17-year-old teenager from Malaysia, currently living in the Land of the Hornbills, Sarawak. I was born into a proud mixed-race household of a Dayak Kenyah father and a Dayak Iban mother. Currently, I am attending Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St. Luke, nestled in the heart of Sri Aman.

2026 is the year I will be taking my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), a national college entrance examination, as a Form 5 student in the pure science stream. In addition to that, I also take Arts and Bahasa Iban as extra subjects, as I find joy in discovering beauty in everything and in preserving my mother tongue.

My top three core strengths are public speaking, STEM, and leadership. Back in 2023, I ranked second in a national-level financial literacy public speaking competition and brought home RM1,000. This year, I was given the honour of holding the “Tokoh Kokurikulum” title by my school. Furthermore, the robotics team that I led was placed 13th in an international robotics tournament. Besides, I was also part of the Student Council, where I was entrusted with the role of Vice President and now I am currently building skills in Python, with a dream of exploring the amazing world behind Artificial Intelligence (AI) engineering.

However, behind all these achievements, first and foremost, I am a daughter and a sister. I am the middle child of three siblings. My father is a retired teacher, while my mother currently works as a school laboratory assistant. Coming from a humble background, my parents have always taught me the importance of discipline, which has shaped who I am today. They have also taught me to always have faith in everything I do and to stand up for myself.

Ever since I was young, I have always been curious about seeing life from different perspectives so that I could understand how others feel. To be honest, this curiosity has been my greatest blessing. It taught me how to sympathise and empathise. And the best part? It became one of my greatest strengths; the ability to love, understand, and fight for a better future for the world.

Importantly, I believe that SLAC is one of the greatest tools for students around the world to understand and even solve the never-ending challenges we face every day. The discipline and knowledge students gain through SLAC will be the most rewarding contribution to the world and strongly align with Teach For All’s goal of developing young leaders and ensuring that all children reach their full potential.

I am not just a student. I am a leader who knows that her story is only beginning.