Veveonah Mosibin, the 23-year-old Sabahan who gained international attention in 2020 after climbing a tree to secure better Internet access for her online exams, has embarked on a new journey to become a doctor.
After earning her marine science degree from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Veveonah is now enrolled in a five-year medical program at the Management and Science University (MSU) in Shah Alam, as reported by The Star.
Inspired to Become a Surgeon
On January 3, Veveonah shared her graduation news on Facebook, expressing gratitude for her family, lecturers, and the support she received through a scholarship from Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman.
In her post, she reflected on her journey at UMS, which she described as passing in “a blink of an eye.”
I couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of my amazing family – you guys are my rock!
Veveonah expressed her hopes to return to Sabah as a surgeon once the UMS hospital becomes operational.
The knowledge I gained, especially during my FYP and internship, will stay with me forever. This chapter may be over, but I’m coming back one day – hopefully when the UMS hospital is up and running!” she added.
She credited her parents’ encouragement and her siblings’ successes as inspirations for her decision to pursue medicine.
Veveonah added that the supportive environment and hardworking peers at MSU have kept her motivated in her studies, which began in October 2024.
Shift from Marine Science to Medicine
According to NST, Veveonah lost interest in marine science during the Covid-19 pandemic due to the challenges of online learning.
She explained that marine science required hands-on, physical experiences, which were unavailable at the time.
This led her to switch to medicine in 2021, a decision fueled by her aspirations to serve her home state.
Viral fame in 2020
Veveonah first captured public attention through her “24 Hours On Tree Challenge” video on YouTube in June 2020.
In the video, she climbed a tree in her Sapatalang village in Pitas to complete her online exams due to poor Internet connectivity.
Despite facing challenges such as being stung by a hornet and sleeping on limited supplies, her determination went viral.
Watch the video here:
