Aziza Aznizan is a model, PhD student and co-founder of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Paint The World, in Malaysia, all inspired by her passion for wanting to find out how others live, and the stories they tell.
It was her interest in diversity that drove her curiosity and eventual action.
Born and raised in Sarawak, Malaysia, Aziza said she was part of the minority in school. She studied in a Chinese-stream private secondary school where most of her schoolmates were Chinese, and after that, attended United World College Atlantic (UWC Atlantic), a boarding school in the United Kingdom, where she was one of the few Muslims.
But far from being intimidated, Aziza said her experience at both schools allowed her to befriend others of various nationalities and ethnicities.
Referring to her years at UWC Atlantic from 2014 to 2016, Aziza said: “It was so diverse, there were people from so many countries, so many backgrounds, I felt so happy because I could learn so much from these people and improve my knowledge about other cultures and communities.”