Fadhrullah Yusop, a 2025 Aspire Leaders Program (ALP) alum from Malaysia, dedicates his time across his full-time job, volunteer work, and entrepreneurial pursuits to giving hope and belonging to youth. Having experienced feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness himself, Yusop found transformative support through university connections and the Aspire Leaders Program. Armed with firsthand knowledge of how belonging and hope can change life trajectories, he is uniquely positioned to launch initiatives that help youth reach their full potential.
Can you tell us about your background and life growing up?
We didn’t come from wealth, influence, or opportunity; we came from grit. My father worked as a driver for most of his life, while my mother has always been a full-time housewife. I’m proud to say I’m the first-generation boy in my family to make it to university, a milestone that carries the weight of every sacrifice my parents ever made for me.
Growing up, besides my father’s monthly salary as a driver, our family’s income came from running a small hawker stall at night markets. I remember watching them carry heavy containers, pouring sweat, yet never complaining.
I remember hiding my tears when I had to say no to opportunities that required money we didn’t have. But, I thought of my parents who never had the chance to pursue education themselves. I reminded myself that education wasn’t just my way forward; it was my family’s redemption story.
When you got to university, what was your experience like as a first-gen student? What did you end up studying?
As soon as I got the news that I made it to university, I remember seeing my Dad cry. My Mom decided to have a small celebration.
[I chose to study] Information management. It is related to being an archivist or a librarian. I like to spend a lot of time in the library. I moved to a bachelor’s degree in Information Science, which is still in the same category but focused toward the archival sectors.
Navigating my moments within those first weeks in university was nerve wracking. Luckily, I have a very strong support system, not only from my parents and my siblings, but new connections.
Once I graduated after the COVID-19 pandemic, the job opportunities within my field were quite low. I decided to go for a different branch instead.
What are you currently doing? How do you balance your time and hope that all of these things come together for some of the goals you have in the future?
Professionally, I work as a Talent Development Analyst at Yayasan Khazanah. I help oversee and implement programs for scholarship recipients. I’m deeply invested in making sure that every scholar, no matter their background, is given the guidance and support I wish I had.
At the same time, I’m pursuing a Diploma in Business Administration & Diploma in Human Resources Management as part of my additional learning initiatives through Open Distance Learning (ODL) – both under scholarships.
My volunteering journey with Teach For Malaysia (TFM) is perhaps the most personal and emotional part of my story. I joined as a volunteer tutor, and it changed me instantly. I met a 10-year-old boy who couldn’t read basic sentences in Malay Language [and] remember the look on his face when he realized he was different from his peers. He looked at me with eyes far too heavy for someone his age and asked the kind of question that breaks you from the inside, “Teacher, there’s no hope for me, right? What’s the point of going to school if my future is already decided?”
It reminded me of my own struggles as a child, how close I was to falling through the cracks. But someone once believed in me, and that belief changed my entire life. TFM gave me the chance to be that someone for another child. I didn’t want to just teach, I wanted to empower, to uplift, to stand beside those kids. That moment ignited a fire in me to work harder, not just for myself, but for every forgotten child.
What inspired you to join the Aspire Leaders Program? How has the program added value to the things you’re doing?
I’ve always felt like I was navigating the world with a map that had half the directions missing. Growing up in a low-income family, I didn’t have role models in the corporate world or people around me who could tell me how to get into leadership, how to find mentors, or even how to believe I deserved to be in those spaces. There were many times in my life when I felt invisible. When I discovered the Aspire Leaders Program (ALP), it felt like someone was finally saying, “You matter. Your story matters. Your voice matters. You belong here, too.”
ALP promised not just learning, but belonging. And that was what I craved the most. I wanted to learn how to lead by embracing the resilience and compassion I’ve gained through hardship. I had felt the sting of being underestimated [and] I knew I could use those experiences not as a limitation, but as a foundation to lead.
ALP gave me more than a chance, it gave me a community. And through it, I realized that leadership isn’t about having the most polished voice in the room. Sometimes, it’s about being the one who dares to speak up about the things that break your heart.
What are some key learnings of the Aspire Leaders Program (ALP) that you actively use in your life?
One of the most powerful lessons I took away is that leadership doesn’t always start from the top. I learned how to own my narrative, even the parts I used to hide like growing up in poverty or being the first boy in my family to attend university. I used to think those things made me “less than.” But through ALP, I came to understand they are exactly what make me a leader with empathy, resilience, and vision.
During the program, I connected with changemakers from across the globe. I realized that my challenges in Malaysia: inequality, education gaps, youth disenfranchisement—were part of a much bigger picture. We were all fighting for dignity, for equity, for change. That global solidarity gave me hope and a renewed sense of responsibility.
ALP taught me the value of reflection, not just as a tool for personal growth, but as a compass for ethical leadership. Now, in everything I do, I stop and ask myself: Am I leading with integrity? Am I building something that lasts beyond me?
Tell me a bit more about your project proposal which you won awards for. How did you come up with it and what stage is the project at?
The project that won awards was born from a place of deep frustration, but also deep love. After months of volunteering with children under TFM, I saw a heartbreaking pattern. So many of them were bright, curious, and full of potential, but they were being failed by a system that wasn’t built for them. What struck me was that their lack of progress wasn’t due to laziness or disinterest, it was due to lack of access, lack of early intervention, and most importantly, lack of belief in them.
I started developing the idea for a “Literacy Toolkit”, a phonics-based, community-powered resource that could be used by volunteers, parents, or older siblings to help these children build foundational reading skills. I wanted something that could live in the hands of everyday people, something that could bring learning into homes where books were rare and support was even rarer.
We even piloted it in three sessions with children in Sri Selangor and the impact was immediate. The kids lit up when they realized they could read their first sentence. Their confidence grew, and so did mine.
Right now, the project is still in its pilot phase. But, I dream of turning this into a movement where communities, not just schools, take ownership of literacy. This project isn’t just an initiative to me, it’s my way of giving back. It’s my quiet promise to the children who remind me of who I once was: You are not forgotten. And I will fight for your right to learn.
Tell me more about the awards you won for this project.
Being part of the Pitch Perfect: The AYAN Formula for Winning Project Proposals competition hosted by the ASEAN Youth Advocates Network (AYAN) was an experience that will stay with me for life. I was blessed to be part of a cross-cultural team made up of youth from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brunei. We were united by a shared vision: a Southeast Asia where no child is left behind simply because of where they were born. Together, we refined the original project proposal I had developed during the Aspire Leaders Program.
To our surprise and deep honor, our project was awarded Champion – Most Outstanding Project Proposal. We also received the ASEAN Visionary Award, recognizing our proposal as the one that most embodied the dreams and collaborative spirit of ASEAN [and] the Feasibility Excellence Award, acknowledging that our approach was practical, implementable, and scalable. Finally, we were humbled to receive the SDG Synergy Award, awarded to the proposal that best aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 4: Quality Education, but also touching on equity, inclusion, and empowerment.
These awards have become a reminder that the work is real, the impact is needed, and the dream is possible. More than anything, they remind me that hope doesn’t have to start from the top. It can begin with a child, a teacher, a community, and a team of young advocates.
What are some next steps that you see yourself taking in this project/future? What else is next for you?
I aim to begin piloting the literacy recovery initiative in selected urban poor communities in Kuala Lumpur. I want to build it with the community and teachers, families, and youth volunteers who understand the local context.
As first-generation, I carry the hopes of not only my family, but of countless children come from where I come from and believe that “people like us don’t make it.” I want to rewrite that narrative. I want to help create a future where every child in Malaysia and across ASEAN has access to quality education, the tools to dream boldly, and the space to grow without fear of being forgotten.
In the long term, I hope this project evolves into a region-wide movement. I want to build bridges between policymakers and the people they serve, ensuring that decisions are shaped by stories not just data.
Any words of advice for other young people who are thinking about Aspire, going through the Aspire Leaders Program, or just finishing up their undergraduate degree and trying to figure out next steps?
Take it slowly. You don’t have to always rush in your life. Make the most of it, learn every single thing, and reflect upon each lesson that has been provided.
