He thought he's going to be an Aerospace engineer.

But he decided to pursue his passion in photography.

Yesterday, he won the Pulitzer Prize, a prestigious award for achievements in journalism in USA.

This is Marcus Yam from Malaysia & his winning work👇 https://t.co/gbGdAu0wcT

Marcus was born & grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He studied aerospace engineering at University at Buffalo (UB) in NY, USA.

He took photographs for UB’s student newspaper to fulfil requirements to graduate.

He then graduated in 2006 & became a full time photographer. https://t.co/Uqrud4MxeL

Marcus worked for the New York Times & the Seattle Times before joining the Los Angeles Times in 2014.

In August 2021, he did the coverage during the Talibans’ takeover of Kabul in Afghanistan.

That's where he captured his award-winning photos.

This one here is one of them. https://t.co/6gEmG9YWyB

Marcus won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography.

He's the first Malaysian ever to win this award for this category.

In 2019, he was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award for the clashes in Gaza Strip.

He also received at least 8 other awards. https://t.co/9Fn9IQycna

Marcus spent about 2 months in Afghanistan, despite knowing the danger.

He was asked to leave by his director but he insisted that he must stay because it was an important story.

His boss admires him for his work ethic, courage & tolerance.

They felt very lucky to have him. https://t.co/PhYe0rP7vn

Marcus is a proof that pursuing your true passion can really change your life.

But you also really have to work hard & believe in what you do.

This was his expression when speaking to his sister after winning the award.

Congratulations, Marcus @yamphoto!

(Photo: Poh Si Teng) https://t.co/yr6EA2f0M8

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Sources:
1.https://dartcenter.org/bio/marcus-yam
2.https://www.buffalo.edu/alumni/our-stories/alumni-story.host.html/content/shared/www/alumni/our-stories/marcus-yam.detail.html
3.https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-05-09/marcus-yam-los-angeles-times-foreign-correspondent-and-photojournalist-wins-pulitzer
4.https://www.marcusyam.com/about-me
5.https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/05/10/malaysia-born-photojournalist-marcus-yam-wins-pulitzer-prize
Photos: Marcus Yam / the LA Times