Stella Santa Juniah Couldn’t Afford University—Now She’s a Scholar Fighting for Education Access

Stella Santa Juniah didn’t take the typical path to university. Born and raised in Beluran, a small town in Sabah, she spent five years out of school after Form 5; her hiatus from education didn’t come from a lack of ambition, but because her family couldn’t afford to send her further. She worked multiple jobs to save up for a shot at higher education, only to be turned away by most public universities due to her age and academic gap.

Today, she’s not just a TESL student at City University. She’s a Tunku Abdul Rahman scholar, Vice President of her university’s Borneo Club, and a campus ambassador for Teach For Malaysia. She’s volunteered in Vietnam, served communities in Sarawak, and led tuition programmes for underprivileged students. Every step forward is one she had to fight for—and now, she’s working to make sure others won’t have to fight quite as hard.

Returning to the Classroom

After finishing Form 5, Stella Santa Juniah assumed her education was over. Her parents were struggling financially, and she knew there was no way they could afford to send her to college. For five years, she worked multiple jobs to support herself and save what she could. But even then, when she finally had the funds, most public universities turned her away, either because of her age or academic gaps.

She didn’t give up. Eventually, City University took a chance on her and offered a full foundation scholarship, and for the first time in years, Stella was back in a classroom. Juggling studies after such a long break wasn’t easy, but to her surprise, it wasn’t as hard as she had feared. She went on to continue her degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), but initially without any scholarship support, which meant juggling full-time classes with part-time work.

The pressure was constant, but Stella kept moving. She applied for every opportunity she could find. One of those was the prestigious Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship, which she received during her degree. “Starting from first year, it was a struggle. I need to go to college and then as well as working after that,” she said. “I go to college from 9 am until 5, and then I’ll go to my part-time workshop. It’s really tiring.”

Still, it felt like more than financial relief; receiving the scholarship was a turning point. It meant someone believed in her future.

Teaching with Purpose

Stella didn’t pursue a degree in education by accident. Her decision to major in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) at City University was deeply personal, shaped by the people who supported her during her school years. In primary school, a teacher noticed how quickly she picked up the language. In secondary school, another teacher became a father figure, providing her with learning materials and encouragement when her family couldn’t.

“I could understand those languages really well,” she said. “I could go for debates, public speaking, and I even represented the national team for my school.”

Those early experiences cemented her belief that language, especially English, could open doors, particularly for students from underserved communities like her own in Beluran. To Stella, English wasn’t just a subject. It was a tool for social mobility, a bridge to opportunity. And more than learning, she was drawn to teaching. She wanted to pass on what she had gained to help other students access what she once feared she might lose.

Becoming a Leader Who Gives Back

Receiving the Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship marked more than just a financial breakthrough for Stella. It marked the start of a new chapter in her life. The scholarship came with rigorous expectations, but also rich opportunities. It wasn’t just about rewarding academic performance, but also about building leaders who would shape Malaysia’s future.

As a scholar, Stella entered a one-and-a-half-year leadership development programme that challenged her to grow beyond the classroom. She participated in national conferences, took on peer mentorship roles, and developed her own initiatives to give back to the community. Scholars were also given access to a personal development fund, which Stella used to support education-based volunteer work, including a month-long mission in Vietnam and outreach programs in Sarawak. “Whatever you want to do, they support you,” she said. “They shape us as free leaders.”

The scholarship programme even extended support to the scholars themselves, providing access to mental health services like therapy, which Stella saw as vital to sustaining long-term leadership. The message was clear: strong leaders aren’t just high achievers. They’re grounded, self-aware and committed to service.

For Stella, the experience reshaped what it meant to lead. It wasn’t about titles or public recognition. It was about clearing the path for others. “When you want someone to fund your education, you need to show that you're worth funding,” she said. Now, she works to help others show that same worth, not through perfection, but through resilience, purpose, and growth.

Representing Borneo, Building Belonging

Moving from Beluran to Kuala Lumpur was more than a change of scenery. It meant starting over in a place where few people spoke her dialect, shared her background, or fully understood where she came from. For Stella, joining the Borneo Club at City University offered a way to reconnect with her roots while helping others do the same.

As Vice President, she played a key role in organising cultural events, expanding community engagement, and making Bornean identity visible on campus. The club brought together students from Sabah and Sarawak, offering a sense of familiarity and shared pride. “When you go somewhere far and you're all alone, your family is very far,” she said. “Being able to connect with others who came from the same root as you—it’s very nice. You have your own support system.”

The Borneo Club's events served a greater purpose than just a cultural celebration. From the annual Harvest Festival to educational exchanges with institutions like UNITAR and IPG, Stella and her team worked to bridge understanding between East and West Malaysian students. They taught traditional customs, explained the significance of Bornean attire, and introduced campus communities to the beauty of their home states.

For Stella, the club was more than an extracurricular activity. It was a reminder that leadership doesn’t always mean standing out; sometimes it means bringing people together. It grounded her during a period of intense academic and personal growth, and gave her the confidence to keep moving forward.

Representing Borneo, Building Belonging Teaching, Travelling, and the Road Ahead

Even as her schedule filled with classes, conferences, and campus responsibilities, Stella kept her eyes on a broader mission. She joined Teach for Malaysia as a campus ambassador, advocating for educational equity and recruiting volunteers to teach underserved students. Her role ranged from running awareness campaigns to helping organise tuition programmes, where university students offered free lessons to children in low-income communities.

At the same time, she began working on her final-year research project, which focuses on how socioeconomic factors influence English language acquisition. She hopes the findings will be used to design better interventions for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is another way she’s trying to change the system from the inside—by understanding its challenges more deeply.

That urgency feels especially relevant now. With the Malaysian Education Blueprint coming to an end this year and growing debate around the removal of standardised testing and student streaming, Stella believes reform must be shaped by those who understand what’s at stake. “There are so many potential students that just need help,” she said. “You can’t teach rural and urban students the same way. The way you approach them must be different.”

Stella’s next steps are already in motion. She plans to complete her research, continue her advocacy work through initiatives like YSS and Teach for Malaysia, and eventually pursue a Master’s degree. But her long-term vision stretches even further.

Her dream is to one day open a centre for underprivileged students, where learning is not restricted by money. “I wanted to build a centre where students could come and learn, where we provide support for them and they don’t have to worry much about how their parents would pay,” she said. She imagines travelling first and teaching in rural communities abroad to gain experience and perspective. Whether she ends up in Vietnam, China, or somewhere else entirely, she hopes to return to Malaysia and be better equipped to serve.

It is a goal built not just on ambition, but on lived experience. Stella knows what it means to be overlooked. Now, she is working to make sure others are seen.