Indebted to Arizona
Aaron’s article “Small wonder why NUS alumni not donating back to alma mater” on the reasons why alumni giving is almost non-existent at NUS seems to have triggered quite the online discussion.
I do not pretend to know the answers as I was never an NUS student. But I do know why I feel so strongly for my alma mater, The University of Arizona.
I could tell you of the amazing school spirit at basketball games or the colourful homecoming parades, but get this - they made me feel I belonged, and wanted to belong, even before I stepped foot on the campus or learned about their many traditions.
When I applied for the U of A, they offered to pay a large part of my tuition expenses. I had not applied for any scholarship and was actually all ready to have my parents foot the full bill. I had done relatively well during my polytechnic days, but an unsolicited offer was totally unexpected.
Being the skeptical Singaporean I was, I asked if there was a bond of any kind attached. I asked if I had to stay in the United States or work in Arizona for a period of time to repay their investment. Their answer? We want to give you this money because we believe you can go on to make a difference in the world.
I will never forget the kindness shown to me nor the mandate to make a difference. Their generosity has had a profound impact on my life and I find myself inexplicably tied to my fellow Wildcats, to the city of Tucson, to the state of Arizona and to America herself.
I may not agree with everything that has since transpired, but I can never deny the fact that a large part of who I am and who I want to be is tied to that single email which led to three and a half years of being nurtured under a stranger’s wing.
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Thanks for the nod to Tucson AZ and the U of A. I really can't believe all this time has passed. I hope all is well. I still think of you every once and a while. (maybe it's because of RSS) and ever since you said to try Firefox (before it was called Firefox) I've been hooked. I'm not really sure why I just said that, maybe because it's something you did that in a way changed my life. Not to say other things weren't important. I started using Firefox because of you and have never turned back. Peace.
Hey Jonathan,
I think about you guys constantly, checking up on the latest stuff you all have written and what's going on in your lives. Every now and then I feel the urge to live in two worlds - both of which know little of each other, but both equally homely.
It's unrealistic to expect a person to give to an institution simply because s/he is an alumnus, when that institution has never meant anything more than a financial transaction (which is what it all boils down to at NUS/NTU) to that person.