Student Researcher & Youth Wellness Advocate

By Ong Chee Yen

From the outside, I looked like any ordinary Malaysian student. But behind the uniform, textbooks, and school corridors, I was quietly fighting battles most people never saw. I grew up in environments where respect wasn’t given, fairness wasn’t promised, and kindness made me a target. At home, chores were always handed out unevenly. In school, being “too kind” made me easy to bully. Even at daycare, I was treated differently because of my gender. All of this left marks on my confidence—but it also awakened a fire that would shape my entire approach to wellness, resilience, and leadership.

Instead of breaking, I began to study why people behaved the way they did. At fifteen, I turned to psychology not for academics, but out of survival. Understanding human behavior became the first system I ever built for myself. It helped me navigate disrespect, rebuild my confidence, and transform emotional pain into emotional intelligence. Eventually, the same classmates who mocked me began to respect me, because I now understood the mechanics of people.

But the real turning point came when I almost collapsed under pressure. Teacher mistreatment, bullying, and internal stress brought me close to the edge. One caring teacher recognized my discipline and pulled me back before I fell completely. That moment taught me that wellness is not just self-care—it’s about having even one person who believes in you when you can’t believe in yourself.

That promise to myself—never to let anyone control my worth again—eventually led me to entrepreneurship and leadership.

At age 15, after reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, I launched BISBIC, a biscuit business with zero experience and even less confidence. My first three days were a failure. But instead of giving up, I locked myself in my room for 72 hours, reading business and psychology books nonstop. Those hours reshaped me. I learned problem-solving under pressure, emotional regulation, and the mental stamina needed to keep going when everyone expects you to break.

I flipped the business, created an affiliate system, and earned my first real profit. It wasn’t about the money—it was proof that my mind was stronger than my circumstances.

Later, I built CLASSICLIB, a software project I created from learning coding at 12. I failed again, then re-learned everything through Google’s SEO course and rebuilt my strategy. 

I even went class-to-class pitching subscriptions—a painful but transformative experience. Every “no” strengthened my emotional resilience and self-worth.

My final project, PUREAURA, was the first time I worked from purpose rather than profit. I led a team to donate RM400 worth of luxury shampoo to a nonprofit market. It taught me that leadership is not always about being the loudest—sometimes it’s about giving the most.

Today, I am a student researcher, an aspiring nutrition writer, and a wellness advocate who believes that mental clarity, longevity, and personal success come from the systems we build inside ourselves. Trauma gave me discipline. Failure gave me strategy. Leadership gave me direction. And wellness gave me the ability to keep going.

I share my story because success is not about perfect environments—it’s about designing habits, systems, and mindsets strong enough to rise above them. If I could grow from chaos, anyone can rise from their own beginnings.

Connect With Ong

www.linkedin.com/in/ong-chee-yen