When the twin sisters were 12, their father, Yusoff Abas, lost his battle with lung cancer. Then, in 2019, their mother Ruszarina Hashim passed away from a heart attack five days after the release of their SPM results.
Since then, the sisters – together with their 21-year-old brother, Yazrel – have had to grow up quickly, learning to be independent and manage their lives without their parents’ guidance.
Speaking with Bernama, Yusren shared that her mother’s final message had been to make education their source of livelihood and the driving force to pursue their dreams.
“My late mother always said she had no wealth to leave us except education. We have held on to those words until now. No matter what happens, we cannot stop studying – that was our promise to fulfil,” she told Bernama at her convocation ceremony at UiTM Shah Alam recently.
After their mother’s passing, Yusren and her sister – who hail from Ampang, Selangor – took on various part-time jobs, including working as cashiers and restaurant staff, to support themselves.
She said the challenges intensified when they entered university as they had to balance classes with part-time work.
“Whenever I could, I would go to work, because that was our only source of income – it covered food and expenses for university assignments. It was exhausting, but we had no choice; without work, we had no money.
“There was even a time when I had only RM3.20 left in my bank account and had to go hungry. I am lucky, though, to have friends and lecturers who were very caring,” Yusren shared.
She added that they are grateful for the university’s zakat assistance and loans from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), which helped ease their burden.
Their sacrifices have paid off: Yusren eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication (journalism) and is now employed at a security company, while Yusrah completed her bachelor’s degree in accountancy and is set to attend her convocation this November.
For Yusrah, her academic success is more than a personal achievement – it is proof that being an orphan without financial support is not an obstacle to reaching one’s goals.
“Today’s world is no longer about who has the easiest path, but who possesses knowledge and qualifications,” she said. “While a degree does not guarantee continued success, without knowledge, the doors of opportunity are certainly harder to open.”
She added that earning a degree was the most meaningful gift they could give their late parents. “Even though they are no longer with us, we believe their prayers have given us the strength to reach this point.”