Starchild: What Malaysian kids want to be when they grow up

Hannah Chan Yue Bei, 8

Some children dream of becoming an astronaut who explores space. The thought of wearing a space suit, floating in zero gravity, and travelling in a spacecraft to the International Space Station excites them.

Imagine conducting experiments in space, discovering new things, and contributing to humankind’s understanding of the universe. How exciting.

What are your dreams? Do you dream of becoming a famous singer like Taylor Swift, captivating audiences with your voice and music?

Or maybe you see yourself on the big screen, acting alongside stars like Jenna Ortega or Zendaya, bringing characters to life and inspiring others through your performances?

Ambitions help us imagine our future and set goals that guide us towards success. Whether it’s becoming a scientist who explores the mysteries of space, a teacher who inspires young minds, or an athlete who wins championships, our ambitions are shaped by what we love and what excites us.

These dreams give us purpose and motivate us to work hard in school and beyond. They teach us the importance of perseverance, creativity, and determination. And even if our dreams evolve as we grow, the lessons we learn from pursuing them – like hard work, curiosity, and resilience – will always stay with us.

Whatever your ambition, know that it’s just the beginning of an exciting journey full of learning, growth, and discovery.

Here are the letters from Starchild readers on the topic, My Ambition.

“I want to be an artist because I like drawing and I attend art class. I also like to do craft. I started drawing interesting things when I was a toddler. I have so many drawings and when I grow up, I want to open an art shop,” says Kathleen Cheong Wei Yen, nine.

Kathleen Cheong Wei Yen, 9

Eight-year-old Hannah Chan Yue Bei, wants to be YouTuber. “My channel name would be called Sprinkle Lulu Gamers. There will be five playlists in the channel. My partner is Ellerys. We will create games, dances, crafts, mini games with quiz and home challenges in our videos. We hope you like, and subscribe to our channel.”

Wong Cheng Yang, 10

“My ambition is to be a software developer. I chose to be one because I could earn a hefty sum of money to buy a big house, a luxury car and much more for my family. I have been working hard to learn noabout software and programming. My co-curricular activity, digital maker, teaches me and my friend to do online programming in Scratch and 3D printing in Tinkerland, a web app for 3D design, electronics, and coding. I hope I can achieve my goal in the future,” says Wong Cheng Yang, 10.

Wong Jie Ern, 8

Younger sibling Wong Jie Ern, eight, wants to be an artist. “I like to draw beautiful pictures like bunnies, fairies, dragons, and many more! I won’t give up on drawing because every time I draw, I get better and also I will be a few steps closer to my dream of being an artist! It’s just like practice makes perfect. I hope my wish will come true.”

Find the hidden words!

ITEM: Imagine creating a brand-new food dish! What would it look like? How would it taste? Maybe it’s a fusion of traditional favourites like nasi lemak and roti canai or something entirely original. How about roti canai tacos or Sarawakian laksa pizza? Think about its taste, how it’s prepared, and why Malaysians would love it. Your creation could go viral!Email your contributions to [e-mail] by Aug 30. Please put “STARCHILD: My Food Creation” in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200dpi.

Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address. Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.