Best Student Against All Odds
Shanon Charles Grinier (pic, middle, chequered shirt) is an amazing 12-year-old who beat all odds and emerged as one of the best students in the UPSR Examinations by scoring As in every subject he sat for. He is the top achiever with 7 As.
No doubt there are many others who have also achieved perfect scores but Shanon stems from a background where he is deprived of many of the things that other children are privileged with. Despite coming from a sadly deprived family background, this boy always has a ready smile, a pleasant and cheerful disposition and is ever so well-mannered. Despite his own poor situation, he is always there to help others.
Shanon had his schooling in a Tamil school, SJK (T) Kerajaan Sungai Pari, Ipoh and lives in the problematic area in Bekor Flats, First Garden. When he was two years old and his other sister hardly one, the father deserted the family, never to be seen again. Unable to take this emotional trauma, Shanon’s mother became mentally imbalanced, resulting in the mother living off Shanon’s grandmother’s meagre pension from Carsem where she worked as an operator. Shanon’s mother, who is 38 years old, also suffers from poor health.
Shanon and his sister are cared for by their uncle, who works in a transport company and his aunt, who works as a factory operator at Pureen Company. They have an equally talented child, Divvya, who is awaiting her PT3 examination results. She loves and cares for her two cousins like her own siblings.
According to Divvya, Shanon is a pleasant boy and very helpful around the house. He is good at repairing radios and bicycles. He is also very innovative and loves to face challenges and try out new things.
Shanon credits his success to his school teachers, the Sri Murugan Tuition Centre as well as teacher Salome from Soroptimist International Ipoh Edufun (SII Edufun), where he goes to get help in his education as well as social and moral well-being. He is very grateful to Soroptimist International Ipoh for having set up this place where he can do his homework and get some basic needs and help too. Shanon has been an asset to the other children at SII Edufun Centre as he is not only a role model to them but helps the weaker ones as well.
Shanon’s dream is to become a mechanical engineer and there is no doubt that with the aid from SI Ipoh and his own diligence, he will achieve it.
Soroptimist International Ipoh is very proud that their hard work and effort in making a difference in the lives of the underprivileged children through the setting up and running of the Edufun Centre, is eventually seeing results and it is hoped that more children from this needy background may be helped to achieve their potential in life.