Passing on the gift of education

 

For Mr Goh Soon Hong (NBS/1995), his reason for setting up a scholarship ran to one word: gratitude.

“Back in my time, you were considered extremely fortunate if you could go to university,” Mr Goh reminisces. “I benefited so much from having a good education, and I wanted to offer someone that same opportunity as well.”

A banking veteran with over 25 years of experience, Mr Goh became a new donor to NTU in 2023. He created the Yu En (育恩) Scholarship, which translated, means “gratitude for one’s education”. The scholarship, which prioritises talented but financially disadvantaged students in its selection process, provides a business undergraduate with S$10,000 annually across a period of four academic years.

Mr Goh chose to support his Nanyang Business School (NBS) juniors, crediting the School for its role in his achievements today.

“Back then, many of my friends were going to another local university to study business administration. But I chose NTU, because it had everything I wanted. It allowed me to specialise early in banking and find my path. It’s also where I made lifelong friendships with my batchmates, and NBS seniors and juniors. Till today, many of us work alongside each other in the banking industry, and those relationships started at NTU.”

“It can be challenging to juggle both school and part-time work, just to fund your education,” Mr Goh shares. “Through the scholarship, I want to relieve my beneficiaries of their financial worries, so that they can focus on learning as much as they can.”

Mr Goh hopes to serve as a personal mentor to his scholarship recipients. “At NBS, our lecturers and tutors were business practitioners themselves. They would share real-life experiences and insights, which better prepared me to take on the industry.”

“Now that I’ve been working in banking for a good number of years, I hope to do the same for the students,” Mr Goh says. “It’s always more meaningful if my experiences can be used to benefit someone and help them go further in life.”

A term bursary or scholarship, such as Mr Goh’s, uses the donated sum until the funds are depleted. The minimum amount needed to establish a term bursary or scholarship ranges between S$40,000 and S$50,000.

Extracted from NTU Alumni: Gifts that connect the generations 

To learn more about how your support can make a real difference at NBS, please visit https://www.ntu.edu.sg/business/giving