Charlene’s path into STEM was anything but traditional. Born and raised in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she began her career in the creative industry as a 3D animator, armed with a Bachelor of Multimedia in Film and Animation. For years, she brought characters to life on screen—never imagining she would one day transition into the world of software engineering and data science.
But curiosity has a way of reshaping destinies. While working full-time, Charlene started exploring programming out of pure interest. She taught herself to code through YouTube tutorials and other online resources. ’It felt magical seeing something come to life with just a few lines of code,’ she recalls.
At 28, she made a bold decision: to begin again. She enrolled in a part-time Bachelor of Computer Science (Software Engineering) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. It was a demanding time —balancing a full-time job as a 3D animator with weekend lectures and late-night assignments. The journey spanned six years, but her perseverance paid off. She graduated in 2024 with First Class Honours and was even nominated for the Vice-Chancellor’s Award.
Along the way, a game development company took a chance on her, offering Charlene her first role as a software developer. It was the moment her passion and determination converged—her official transition into the tech world.
Her experience was further enhanced when she decided to pursue an MSc in Computer Science at the University of Warwick under the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships scheme. She speaks fondly of her lecturers: ‘They were incredibly dedicated—sometimes replying to our questions even at midnight!’ Her coursework was both challenging and intellectually exciting. She built a cell detection and classification model using PyTorch and implemented a Suffix Tree, a topic not covered in class nor found in any of the university’s computer science textbooks.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Charlene also stepped into a leadership role as a Student Staff Liaison Committee representative, advocating for her peers and learning the importance of listening with empathy and protecting anonymity. She also joined empowerment programmes such as Thrive, which strengthened her confidence, assertiveness, and sense of agency as a woman preparing to enter a male-dominated industry.
Her year in the UK also opened unexpected doors—like attending the prestigious Blackett Lecture at the Royal Society in London. ’It was intimidating to be surrounded by so many established experts, but I was grateful I pushed myself to be there.’
Reflecting on her journey, Charlene shares that her year abroad transformed her far beyond her expectations. She returns to Malaysia not only with advanced technical skills but with stronger leadership, resilience, confidence, and a renewed commitment to uplift other women in STEM. ’This one year changed me in so many ways. Not just in knowledge and skills, but in who I am as a person.’
Charlene’s story is a testament to the power of courage, lifelong learning, and the opportunities created through the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarship, which was supported by the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme, delivered by British Council and SEAMEO Secretariat, in partnership with EdTech Hub and Australian Council for Education Research (ACER). Funded by UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the scholarship programme empowers women to break barriers and advance in STEM fields.
Charlene perfectly exemplifies this advancement in STEM. She started out as an animator—and rose to become a computer scientist. Her journey continues to inspire countless women from across ASEAN to take their own bold steps towards a future in STEM.