Our students and staff received a rare treat recently when international celebrity Mr Sparsh Shah visited our campus to deliver a scintillating presentation, titled ‘The 8 Habits of I’m Possible People’. Equal parts speech and song, his talk entertained the audience and struck a deep emotional chord in all present.
For the unaware, Mr Sparsh is a young man of many exceptional talents and popularly known by his stage name, ‘Purhythm’. The 22-year-old American is best described as a prodigy – racking up accomplishments on the global arena as a singer, rapper, songwriter, music producer, inspirational speaker, and Guinness World Record holder. He is also a devoted philanthropist.
While his successes on their own would be the toast of the town, they are far greater knowing he was born with an incurable disorder called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which makes his bones extremely fragile and keeps him in a wheelchair.
We at QIU consider Mr Sparsh’s success to be our own success. He is living proof that our dedication to inclusive education – a vital strand of our DNA as a university – is both timely and essential. We are resolved to ensure no student, no matter their daily challenges, is left behind in pursuing their hopes and dreams in any field of life.
Beyond our robust Bachelor of Special Needs Education (Honours) programme, we’ve partnered with the Nanjing Normal University of Special Education in China to advance postgraduate studies in special needs education across borders.
Mr Sparsh embodies all that our academic programmes seek to imprint on our students: the indelible self-belief that everything is possible, no matter the size or number of hurdles in sight.
His presentation, held at our La Place Cafe and divided into eight themes, was a masterclass in oratory, melding profound motivational messages with snippets of song and rapping, showcasing his pure, soulful tenor and rhythmic flow. Moreover, he used his personal journey as a potent metaphor for the power of the human spirit in overcoming great odds and achieving massive success.
His ideas transcended generations, resonating equally with the younger and older adults in the audience. They elegantly echoed the mission of our founder, Dato’ Sri Dr Vijay Eswaran, and its far-reaching virtues: ‘paying it forward’, bringing passion to our chosen professions, the need for lifelong learning, and raising ourselves to help humankind.
Naturally, the students in attendance were moved by Mr Sparsh’s unique presentation. Reflecting on the event, Justin Cheng, a final-year student from our Bachelor of Mass Communication (Honours) Journalism, said, “As someone who has been struggling quite a bit with believing in myself or being positive, Mr Sparsh has truly opened my eyes and heart in ways I never could on my own.”
Another attendee, Daniel Fadzlan Bin Abdullah, a final-year student from our Bachelor of Corporate Communication (Honours) programme, left the event with renewed verve for his goals. “When I asked Mr Sparsh how leaders keep inspiring people who resist change, his reply, something along the lines of – that a good man may enter paradise, but a leader will bring others with him – reignited my purpose,” he said.
Their words echo our sentiments exactly. We were inspired. We were impressed. We were left wanting more.
Thank you for your time, Mr Sparsh! We look forward to welcoming you again at QIU soon for another dose of motivation and fantastic melodies.
