Dr Leong Wai Fun believes that hardwork will pay off in the end.

A PhD science student walks past a poster promising USD$100 to a lucky draw winner at a science competition – the Alltech Young Scientist Award. She didn’t win the lucky draw. Instead, she clinched the title, walking away with USD$1000.

The science student has since graduated and, now, Dr Leong Wai Fun, is a Lecturer at the School of Science at Monash University Sunway campus.

“I should have known that luck was never on my side. However, this prestigious prize is a great recognition that money can’t buy.”

Dr Leong said that her victory was made all the more sweeter knowing that she had overcome bitter hurdles to get to where she is today.

Dr Leong will present her winning paper at the Alltech’s 27^th International Animal Health and Nutrition Industry Symposium in Lexington, Kentucky, the United States in May this year. Here, she will compete against winners from other regions for the global stage of the competition.

In the midst of the excitement over her win, Dr Leong had to make space for yet another victory: she is also the recipient of the young scientist travel grant awarded by the Prof Tielen Fund Foundation (PTF) to attend the 15^th International Congress on Animal Hygiene in Vienna, Austria, in July.

“I am very happy to be given two great opportunities at the same time, and even more excited to share my findings with the world,” she added.

Through thick and thin, Dr Leong said that her family had been very supportive and that her parents “encouraged me to pursue my dreams, as it is important to be happy in what you do.”