Strongly believing and abiding by this quote is Aliah Hana Ruzaidi, a fourth-year Comics and Animation Technology undergraduate studying at Sejong University, South Korea. As she answered each interview question with a radiant smile, Hana told us how she turned her mental health diagnoses of Aspergers and Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety into superpowers that have helped her in her academic journey. Viewing life as positively as she can where setbacks are simply opportunities to reach new milestones, Hana’s optimistic mindset played a key role in achieving her goals.
Neurodivergence Turned Superpower
“Tim Burton, Elon Musk, Hans Christiansen Anderson — What do they have in common? Aspergers!”
The reality of Aspergers, however, is that it is often comorbid with other disorders, such as Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety. Speaking from personal experience, Hana explains that her sponge-like absorption of information and strong memory — traits linked with Aspergers — have also made it difficult for her to process negative experiences. Nevertheless, she positively concludes that with the right treatment and mindset, these can instead be perceived as superpowers and are beneficial in the long run. A testament to this is her straight A’s SPM results despite having dropped out of school at 12 years old and returning only 1 year prior to the exams!
Hana also highlights her admission to the psychiatric ward as a significant turning point in her life. Feeling as though it was her second chance to live life to its fullest, she began her strife for the next step in her academic journey: university.
Where Did She Begin?
Aware that there weren’t many scholarship opportunities in the arts, Hana set her initial passion for creative writing aside and began researching general scholarship programmes overseas. Her tireless research did not go unrewarded, leading her to a 4-year animation scholarship in South Korea. Hana’s parents, on the other hand, were worried at the thought of their youngest daughter living overseas alone. Given her mental health struggles, they were additionally concerned about medication accessibility and the risk of having to pay a hefty penalty if she was unable to complete her studies. Even the scholarship providers themselves had qualms, cautioning Hana that due to her diagnoses, they were likely unable to send her overseas.
A few years of diligent studying and tenacity later, however, Hana has proven herself more than worthy and will be graduating soon from this very scholarship programme!
Aspirations and Inspirations
With her final-year project coming up, Hana shares how she plans to draw inspiration from three creative works. Commending ‘Misi Comics’ for its simultaneously entertaining and didactic tone, together with the cinematic adaptation of the poem, ‘The Morning After I Killed Myself’, in exploring the topic of suicide, she intends to create something just as impactful in expressing mental health struggles. On the more visual side, Hana is also inspired by how the use of only 3 colours in Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF)’s ‘Paranoid Kid’ by Joung Yumi was able to produce effective mental health images. In her own words, “I also want to create something that lingers in people’s minds for a long time.”
As for life post-graduation, Hana intends to use her degree to increase Malaysian representation in the animation industry as she wants to imbue more national pride in Malaysian culture and believes it deserves to be looked upon just as highly as other countries.
Speaking on MyHeart’s Cherita Kita Podcast
Beyond academics and arts, Hana also participated in MyHeart’s Cherita Kita podcast, where she denotes the experience as one of her greatest achievements. Having overcome her struggles with eye contact and social interactions, she reflects on another personal milestone:
“If you were to ask me what my personal key learning was, it would be self-discovery above all else. Among these 6 shining and unique individuals who were chosen, I was there too. It taught me to be more confident in myself.”
What was especially important to Hana, however, was her conversation with one of the other podcast members, Akhil. Having posed a question regarding adulthood and its signalling of either the beginning or end of freedom, Akhil responded:
Enjoying deep conversations such as this one, Hana encourages those who are similarly interested and keen on studying abroad to stay tuned to the Cherita Kita podcast.
A Family’s Love
At the end of the day, Hana attributes her successes to her family. Inspired by her elder brother being the first of her siblings to study overseas and obtain a master’s certificate to support their family’s former financial struggles, she realised how important education can be in changing one’s life. Thus, she took it upon herself to do the same despite facing obstacles along the way. She is especially grateful towards her father and sister-in-law for believing in her capabilities. Hoping that her story will inspire other families who are walking a similar path, she says:
As a final word, Hana commends MyHeart for being a platform that offers support, guidance and opportunities such as being part of the Cherita Kita podcast to Malaysian students abroad. If you’re a Malaysian abroad who wants to stay connected to home regardless of where you are in the world, register with MyHeart today!
