JustUpdateOnline.com – Singapore. Graduation ceremonies are typically milestones where parents celebrate their children’s achievements. However, for 18-year-old Muhammad Abbas, the experience was uniquely reversed this past May. He stood among the audience, filled with pride, as he watched his mother, Sharifah Radhia, walk across the stage to receive her specialist diploma.
Sharifah, a 40-year-old single mother of three and a full-time operations manager, successfully balanced her professional responsibilities and family life to complete a year of intensive study. The occasion was particularly significant because both mother and son were enrolled at Temasek Polytechnic (TP) during the same academic year.
While Abbas focused on his diploma in cybersecurity, Sharifah attended evening sessions for a specialist program in business analytics. Despite their different fields of study and separate schedules, the two found common ground in the shared pressures of looming deadlines and demanding examinations.
The decision to return to the classroom at age 40 was driven by Sharifah’s desire to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving job market. Having observed colleagues struggle with new workplace technologies, she was determined to avoid professional stagnation. She chose business analytics to sharpen her statistical skills, believing that data proficiency is a vital asset in any modern industry.
The journey was not without its hurdles. Sharifah admitted to moments of self-doubt, occasionally questioning if she had taken on too much. To manage her time, she dedicated her weekends to coursework, often studying in the family living room so she could remain present for her children.
The experience also fostered a deeper bond between her and Abbas. The teenager took on additional household responsibilities, such as cleaning and looking after his younger siblings, to alleviate his mother’s workload. In return, Sharifah used her expertise in mathematics to assist Abbas with his own college assignments.
Abbas noted that his mother’s tenacity has fundamentally changed his perspective on growth and resilience. Seeing her push through fatigue and academic challenges inspired him to persevere with his own creative projects and studies.
By sharing her story, Sharifah hopes to remind other parents—especially mothers—that personal aspirations should not be permanently sidelined by family roles. She emphasizes that learning is a lifelong pursuit that is not restricted by age, encouraging others to take the leap toward self-improvement rather than fearing the possibility of failure.
