SOMETIMES nobody else can inspire us more than ourselves, and this is what was proven by Dr Kalaivani Shanmugam, an academic lecturer in IPG Penang’s Mathematics Department.
Born and bred in Butterworth, Kalaivani obtained her primary education at SK Convent Butterworth and her secondary studies at SMK Convent Butterworth.
“I did my Form 6 at St Mark’s Institution and later I got my admission to IPG Sultan Abdul Halim in Sungai Petani. It was formerly known as Maktab Sultan Abdul Halim.
“Although I am a convent girl, I was interested in the Tamil language. So, I took up the language as an extra subject in school.
“This was because I wanted to become a Tamil language teacher in a Tamil school,” said Kalaivani, the eldest of five siblings.
Kalaivani said her mother worked as a cook in a church to support the family’s livelihood after her father had passed away when she was seven years old.
“After my father passed away, we stayed together with both my uncles (father’s brothers) and their families.
“My mother brought up me and my sisters with the support of my uncles and aunties.
“She was just 28 years when my father passed away and she did not remarry after that,” she said.
In 1992, Kalaivani began her journey as a teacher at SJK (T) Mak Mandin. She worked there until 1998 before moving to SJK (T) Jalan Sungai in 1999.
“I got married in 1994, and during that time I decided to continue studying. So, I re-sat my STPM examination to pursue my degree.
“I did my part-time degree in Bachelor of Science (Education) in Mathematics and Computer while I was working at SJK (T) Mak Mandin.
“The degree was from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, but I attended the classes in Penang.
“I did not want to stop there (degree), so I did my Master of Mathematics (Education) in Information Communication and Technology at Universiti Malaya, from 2007 to 2009,” she said.
Travelling to-and-fro from Penang to UM for classes was a challenge for Kalaivani yet she managed it with the support of her husband, Inspector Vasu Kuppusamy.
“I was working and at the same time a housewife too with kids. In between this, I had to go up and down from Penang to UM for my classes every weekend.
“Even though it was challenging, my husband was my strong pillar and because of him I was able to do it,” she said.
Kalaivani has three grown-up children – Dashine Nair, Kirthi Nair and Padman Nair.
In 2010, Kalaivani moved to SJK (T) Ramakrishna and then in 2011, she continued her PhD in Mathematics Education at Universiti Sains Malaysia.
“After completing my PhD in 2015, I was posted at IPG Tuanku Bainun (Bukit Mertajam) and I worked there until 2018.
“In January 2019, I was transferred here (IPG Penang) because there was a need for Mathematics lecturers,” she said.
Kalaivani added that she went all over Malaysia to train teachers as well as contribute to curriculum writing for Mathematics.
Her pursuit of academic excellence has not only brought her to where she is now, but also it has inspired all those around her.
“Women should not stop furthering their studies; they should keep going. Go higher in education, as far as you can.
“This was what I told my fellow teachers when I was still teaching in school. Many of them took my advice and furthered their studies.
“Do not think that if you have kids, you will not have time to study, or it will be tiring. You must try!
“I retook my STPM when I was expecting my first child and I was not ashamed to attend classes.
“Then when I was doing my degree, I was pregnant with my second child.
“Even if you already have a career, continue studying and broaden your knowledge,” Kalaivani said.
Being an all-rounder, Kalaivani is also actively involved in social work. She has been the women’s leader for the Malaysian Hindu Sangam Penang State Council for the past two years.
As a closing thought, Kalaivani said one should always have self-confidence and the urge to keep progressing.
“My mother, who is now 72 years old, is my role model. She is a great motivator for me and my siblings. The spiritual classes that we attended had also helped us to succeed in life,” she added.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi