UTAR Alumni

NOVEMBER 2012

Au Revoir, UTAR

Kee Cia Hee

Batch of 09 2011, BACHELOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS (HONS)

Au Revoir, UTAR

'UTAR, My Choice' is the axiom of my alma mater that still resonates in my head. Now that I am bidding adieu, I would like to reciprocate with a heartwarming 'Thank You, UTAR' for all the wonderful experiences that have been entrenched in memory. Not only was UTAR my alma mater, but also my employer, friend hooker and one-time matchmaker.

The day -28th May 2007 -was the first day I set foot at UTAR Petaling Jaya to commence my Foundation studies. It occurred only a day after the solemnisation of my elder sister's nuptial, and I certainly did not want to forgo her cocktail reception. So, I took the bus alone to UTAR PJ campus but I was unwitting that I would only last there for a semester. It was in UTAR PJ that I crossed path with my BFF (acronym for Best Friend Forever), Karen Tan Kai Ling who is an avid social butterfly.

After the first semester, I requested to be transferred to UTAR Perak campus in Kampar so to be closer to my family and birthplace, Teluk Intan. My friendship ring blossomed as new pals begun to appear in my life. With the likes of Chin Lip Hoon and Lee Yin How who happened to be my course mate and class representative for three years, life could not have been funnier. Their dashing good looks, charming demeanour, and princely humour could make any girl go gaga and fall head over heels.

God works in a mysterious way. What a coincidence that my two roommates, whom I did not know at the beginning, also happened to be my course mates. We can cohere remarkably well until at times; I was flooded with comical fantasies in which we were the living embodiments of the action-packed trio in blockbuster 'Charlie's Angels'. They were my trusted confidantes in moments of despair. The Competence, Progressive and Upskilling (CPU) campaign hosted by UTAR has further enriched my life with the appearance of Teoh Jun Zeng, Indonesia-born Sandy Kristian and Chew Zhen Fun. They, my ultimate trophy seniors, gave valuable advices whenever I encountered setbacks in life and in studies.

My cycle of benefactors seemed to go unabated. My six month internship attachment, which I performed at a multinational company in Kelana Jaya, has presented someone influential into my life. During my tenure, I was assigned to develop a web page for a company, to customise a few online stores, to be a trainer and also operator at an online help desk. Since the deadline for each task is less than a week, I constantly felt pressured to deliver. To make matters worse, time management is never my forte. I was rumoured to be incompetent among gossipmongers and emerged as the favourite punching bag of my superior from the United States of America. Fate intervened, and intertwined me with a powerful mentor who went great lengths to shield me from malicious intentions. It was none other than my supervisor, the esteemed Mr. Leong, whose unmatched guidance has been engraved in my heart and become the cornerstone of my career aspirations.

My heartfelt gratitude is also accorded to my FYP Supervisor, Dr. Alex Ooi Boon Yaik. Once graduated from UTAR, I decided to stay on to serve my alma mater. It was back in July 2011. Towards the end of my three year studies, fate has betrothed me with a kind soul mate whom I had envisioned to build my life with. Things regrettably fell apart and our once lovey-dovey relationship had started to show signs of cracking. I knew then that we were headed for splits-Ville and requested for an amicable break-up. Distraught, I was still glad to have Greena Ting, Pui Ling, Jiek Huey, Ebbie, Azian and Boon, my meticulous co-workers and pillar of strength in the wake of the poignant learning curve.

A year later, I have decided to exit my conventional territory and to explore the unknown. For the past four years, UTAR has been my secondary home. As valedictory words, I would wish to say 'Thank you UTAR, thank you my friends, lecturers, colleagues and one time flame for the bittersweet memories that we have chartered together. You will be in my heart.'