RIP, Professor Koh :(
My afternoon took a turn for the worse when I receive news that my favourite professor and mentor from college has passed away. It was so sudden everyone who knew him was caught completely off guard. For the first few hours, we questioned the email we received via our Alma Mater's President. Is this a hoax? No this can't be real. We didn't read anything in the news. This can't be happening. Prof Koh couldn't have left us like that. You could say most of us were in complete denial.
Merely days ago, he was still updating his Facebook account of his latest marathon achievement and his diving lessons. And today, we received news that he has left us because of a diving mishap. That he was reported missing since Tuesday and his body was found yesterday.
Known as one of the most popular professors in school, Prof Koh was a shining example of living one's life to the fullest. He didn't just taught us Game Theory and Entrepreneurial Finance, he taught us the essence of life. We were always encouraged to venture beyond our textbooks and that the world was more than "sitting in the study cubicle and solving business cases". We were always taught to learn something new, pick up something we are completely unfamiliar, explore the world so we could tell him stories of our corporate adventures. He wasn't just a professor to us, he was a mentor, a friend, a father figure and a beacon of constant inspiration.
He was always the go-to person when I had doubts about life and career paths, and for the 4 years in school, he had always been my idol (pretty much like everyone else). We lived vicariously through the amazing photos of his adventures around the world, understood the mental strength he had for completing marathons after marathons, and learned that despite the hardships and harshness we faced at work - there was always someone out there who was more than happy to share some care and love.
I remembered penning him emails during my arduous months of hunting for my first job. Much as he was boggled down by probably a few hundreds of other students who were facing the same issue as me, long emails filled with care and advice were always sent back to me. Years later when I penned him yet another email to seek advice for a career switch, he highlighted that he still remembered the joy I had when I signed on my first job. "I still keep the emails you sent and I could still feel the joy when I read them again" was what he said. His emails are still kept safely in my inbox, where I refer back to them every now and then when I feel lost about where I wanted to move on in my career. He was a mentor who truly cared.
It's been hours since I got the news but I still find it unbelievable. We all still find it unbelievable. We wish the family courage and strength to bring them through this.
Facebook is still being flooded by words of all his friends, colleagues and ex-and current students. It serves as a stark reminder that at the end of the day, it's not about how much money you make in a lifetime, it's so many people you have impacted in your lifetime and how many remembers you as an inspiration when you are gone.
"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity" - Henry Van Dyke. Thank you prof for sharing this quote, thank you for being my professor, thank you for teaching me valuable lessons both in and outside of class, thank you for showing us what it is like to be living life to the fullest, thank you for showing us that sincere love and concern is possible even in difficult times. I am most definitely grateful to have met you and had the honour of being your student and mentee for 4 years of my college years. Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration, and that even in your passing, you remind us that life is short and we should never delay the pursue of our passions.
"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity" - Henry Van Dyke. Thank you prof for sharing this quote, thank you for being my professor, thank you for teaching me valuable lessons both in and outside of class, thank you for showing us what it is like to be living life to the fullest, thank you for showing us that sincere love and concern is possible even in difficult times. I am most definitely grateful to have met you and had the honour of being your student and mentee for 4 years of my college years. Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration, and that even in your passing, you remind us that life is short and we should never delay the pursue of our passions.
RIP, Professor Koh - you will be sorely missed :(((
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