Mr Raymond Chan (Music ’13) was just 17 when he arrived in Singapore on a high school orchestra tour from New Zealand. His group was visiting the NUS Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM), and it was the school’s Deputy Director of Student Life, Mr Tan Wei Boon (Engineering ’99, MEng ’03), who gave them the tour. “There was this one moment where we were gathered in front of a grand piano, and Wei Boon asked if anyone played. I put my hand up and played something. I think that’s why he remembered me, and I remembered him [when I later applied],” Mr Chan recalled.
That small moment would become the first step in a formative journey. Months later, Mr Chan was accepted to NUS. It was Mr Tan himself who flew to New Zealand with a professor to audition him. “I was very blown away that a university would fly staff all the way just to audition me,” Mr Chan said. “It made a big impression, and the fact that we had dinner before the audition made it feel very personal. That set the tone for the next four years.”
As a first-year international student far from home, Mr Chan faced the usual mix of excitement and disorientation.
“Homesickness is real,” he said. “You’re far from your family, and on top of that, there were a lot of struggles with understanding the culture and dealing with the new workload at university.”
This was where Mr Tan stepped in again — not merely as an administrator, but as a mentor and friend.
THE SMALL GESTURES THAT MATTERED
It is with great fondness that Mr Chan recalled how Mr Tan helped him settle in, both emotionally and practically. “He would let me sit in his office and vent. He listened, even though he was busy,” he said. Mr Tan also helped Mr Chan with practical matters, from setting up his room to buying furniture, even going as far as assisting with sticking mirror tiles on the wall using generous amounts of Blu Tack. Such experiences, Mr Chan added, influenced how he would treat others in the future.
Years later, after a career in conducting and now based in New Zealand working in the real estate industry, Mr Chan found himself mentoring a university student. “He’s the same age gap with me as I was with Wei Boon. And I found myself reflecting on the same things that Wei Boon did for me,” he noted. “I would take him shopping, share life learnings and even invited him to intern at my office. I don’t think I would have done that if not for the positive impact Wei Boon had on me.”
For Mr Tan, this kind of support was instinctive. “I don’t go around looking to do special things for people,” he shared. “But I’ve always had an open-door policy. Anyone can come into my office.”
His approach was shaped by his university experience, where he realised the importance of accessible support. He therefore made it a point to be more available, especially to international students who often arrive alone, without family or support. Recognising how overwhelming university life can be, he believed it was important not to add to that stress.
A BOND THAT TRANSCENDS TIME AND SPACE
Though Mr Chan left Singapore after graduation, he continued to stay in touch with Mr Tan. “We don’t speak often, but when we do, we pick up right where we left off,” he said. They saw each other again recently, more than a decade after their first meeting.
Looking back, he believes that Mr Tan’s influence went far beyond that of an educational mentor. “Wei Boon is one of the three most influential people I had before I turned 30.” He added: “It’s not about quantity, it’s the quality of the friendship. What I remember from NUS isn’t so much the theory or even the performances. It’s the late-night suppers, the tea and coffee life musings, the chats in Wei Boon’s office. That’s what I took away with me.”
Meanwhile, Mr Tan continues to invest in his students by being present for them. “It is often the conversations that you have with the students that are very precious, because that stays with you for a long time.”
