NBS Alumni Advisory Board’s $44,250 donation launches new Support-a-Mentee Fund

The NBS Alumni Advisory Board comprises a team of prominent alumni business leaders who volunteer their time and leadership to provide guidance and advice on the school’s strategy and programmes.

Members of the Board recently made a collective seed fund donation of $44,250 towards the new NBS Support-a-Mentee Fund. Funds raised will go towards increasing NBS’ capacity to provide quality, structured mentoring experiences to our vast undergraduate student community.

Associate Professor Lum Kit-Wye, Associate Dean (Undergraduate Student Life) at NBS shares: “NBS undergraduates are very fortunate to have the great advantage of successful alumni with big hearts who are able and willing to lend a helping and guiding hand as their juniors prepare to venture out into an exciting but sometimes overwhelming world. The support that the NBS alumni give to their juniors through the mentorship programmes ensures that the latter’s first step on their career paths will be a confident, informed and considered one.”

“We are grateful to the NBS Alumni Advisory Board for their strong endorsement of our mentorship programmes through their donations and contributions as mentors,” said Associate Professor Chung Lai Hong, Assistant Dean for Alumni Affairs at NBS. “We are very proud to have a supportive community of more than 56,000 NBS alumni around the world. We encourage our alumni to remain engaged and give back in ways that will inspire the next generation and continue to build the NBS legacy.”

Mentors and Mentees during a discussion 

Expanding mentoring programmes for our vibrant student community

At NBS, there is no greater priority than ensuring a transformative and well-rounded experience for all students. Mentoring plays a vital role in the academic, personal, and professional development of our students.

Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and the uncertainty faced by students, mentors will play an increasingly important role outside the classroom to guide students and help them overcome adversity to unlock their full potential.

A life-changing experience for mentors and mentees

Two recent NBS graduates, Madeline Tai and Cheong Jing Fu, reflect on their memorable six-month mentorship experience. During their time in Shanghai for an overseas internship in 2019, Madeline and Jing Fu were grateful to have the opportunity to connect with NBS alumnus Bryan Pang through the NBS alumni mentoring programme.

“I really learnt a lot through the mentoring programme. First and foremost, I discovered more about my own strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals for my future career,” shared Jing Fu, a mentee and final year business undergraduate pursuing a major in Business Analytics.

“Through the various discussions and mentorship exercises, Bryan and I shared our work experiences and learnt how to leverage them as part of our goals. 

Beyond career insights, Bryan shared about his personal life and how to balance family and career.”

Madeline, a mentee and final year business undergraduate student pursuing a major in Business Analytics and a minor in Translation, reflected on her key takeaways from the mentoring experience.

“This mentorship programme taught me that the learning process should be both ways – for a mentee to learn from the mentor’s experiences and also for the mentor to learn from a mentee’s perspective to better comprehend the younger generation,” she said. “I learnt to be grateful. I remembered that Bryan once told us how he personally benefitted from the guidance of others and that was why he wanted to give back by guiding others as well. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from him and I hope I will have the ability to mentor others in future.”

Based in Shanghai, NBS alumnus Bryan Pang (B.Acc) is the Chief Risk Officer at Sinolending Pte Ltd.

“I was approached by the NBS Office to join the NBS Alumni Mentorship Programme. Since I benefited tremendously from my mentor during my university days, I was happy to contribute in any way I could,” said Bryan. His advice for fellow alumni who are deliberating whether to register as a mentor is to “be like a sponge and absorb whatever learning that the programme has to offer and enjoy!”

Get involved

The new NBS Support-a-Mentee Fund will enable the expansion of the school’s mentoring programmes into the future. Funds raised will drive key initiatives to grow NBS’ mentoring capacity, including the roll-out of a centralised mentoring platform, development of materials, mentor and mentee training and support, as well as outreach campaigns and events.

We encourage NBS alumni to join in ensuring more students have access to the many benefits of mentoring by making a donation or registering your interest as a mentor today.

 

Find out more about the NBS Support-a-Mentee Fund.