“The biggest difference here in New York is the weather and food,” she told FMT. “I miss Malaysian food the most, and sometimes I do miss life in a small town.”
With the weather in New York a chilly four degrees Celsius and home more than 14,000km away, it isn’t surprising that Rupa would consider resuming her career in Malaysia.
But for now, she is focused on leading SoPark Corporation, a company with about 80 employees which she will be taking ownership of later this year.
Reports of her success in the US caught the attention of Malaysians earlier this year, but many would be surprised that the electrical engineer initially struggled with a lack of self-confidence.
“After I graduated and started out as a quality manager, many of the people reporting to me were older then I was,” she said. “I had to earn not only their respect but the respect of my peers as well.
“But I soon proved to myself that I was a good manager and that I made sound decisions.”
She began to excel when she realised her team not only believed in her but supported her decisions.
“If you want to be successful, you must work hard,” she said. “Put the time into understanding what the job entails and do it to the best of your abilities. You must believe in yourself because if you do not, it will reflect in your work.”
She also said it was important for people to do what they love.
Rupa, who was recently made a Women in Leadership honoree by women’s empowerment organisation NYS Women Inc, said Malaysia could benefit from the American experience in dealing with gender inequality.
She noted that the US government had worked for decades to improve working conditions, pay and job opportunities for minorities.
“Today in the US, many professional women are at the top of their fields because they were given a chance to prove themselves,” she said.
“It starts from the top. The government, with the help of industry leaders, needs to implement laws and take action to prevent discrimination against woman and minorities. There are many qualified workers who can take their companies to the next level if given the chance.”
Insights on STEM
Apart from manufacturing circuit boards and electromechanicals, Rupa’s company also provides custom cable assembly and design services to the medical device industry.
She spoke of the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
“Everyone needs to realise that STEM education is a key driver for the economic growth of a nation. A primary driver for the creation of jobs will be innovation, largely derived from advances in science and engineering.
“As the world continues to advance in technology, most jobs at all levels will require some understanding of STEM.”
In the case of Malaysia, she said, it was best if STEM subjects were introduced to children early, that is, at the stage when they would be developing foundational learning habits.
“The sooner a child is shown the fundamentals of maths and science, the sooner a child will begin to ask questions and draw conclusions. Introduce young minds to schools of scientific linear thinking, creative problem solving and inventiveness, and instil the importance of collaboration and teamwork.”
She said communication skills, especially in English, were also important.
“The theories and formulas are the same regardless of the language, but to be able to compete in the global economic world, where English is the medium of communication, Malaysians must be able to communicate that information to others and express it confidently.
“There has to be more emphasis on mastering the English language.”