In 2016, the NUS Alumni Student Advancement Committee established the Yale-NUS Alumni Study Award to inspire alumni to support students in their educational pursuits. Today, Marcus Chua, a Yale-NUS College (Yale-NUS) alumnus (YNC PPE ’21) and Residential Student Life Manager at NUS College (NUSC), has pledged support for the fund. With his pledge, the Yale-NUS Alumni – Sojourners Agora Study Award will be awarded to NUSC students starting in Academic Year 2025/2026.
A Personal Milestone
For Marcus, this award marked a significant milestone as he approached his thirtieth birthday. “The study award is my way of honouring the people, stories and circumstances that have shaped my identity over the years,” Marcus shared. “In my 20s, I learned that life wasn’t just about building myself up. There was more abundant life in community – and I wanted to live in a way that invested in the people around me.”
The decision, however, wasn’t easy. “I wavered over parting with a significant amount of money,” Marcus admitted. “It’s easy to compare yourself to others and worry about what you have. But I realised that there would always be endless things to worry about. The healthy way forward was to focus on something beyond just living for myself.”
Overcoming Challenges
This desire to support students stems from Marcus’ own experiences of receiving help and taking unconventional pathways during difficult times. “When my mother passed away during my teenage years, I was lost. Later, in the Army, I fell Out-Of-Course, and spent months feeling ashamed. As university came along, I struggled with mental health and took a leave of absence. Each time I reached out for help, help was there, and my growth often came through taking time off to work on meaningful projects before getting back stronger.”
For Marcus, the Yale-NUS Alumni – Sojourners Agora Study Award is about paying that opportunity forward. He hopes it will help NUSC students pursue personal projects they may have set aside due to financial constraints or society’s expectations of them to do otherwise. “This award is about recognising that we all need support,” he explained. “And sometimes it means having more capacity to challenge our status quo, explore, grow, and build communities around our passions.”
Meaning Behind the Award
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.”
— J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
“The word ‘sojourner’ refers to someone on a journey, never staying in one place for too long. That’s how I see life — we’re all searching for meaning and belonging, and building it as we go,” Marcus said. “‘Agora,’ (ἀγορά) in Ancient Greek, meant a gathering place, symbolising the communities we discover or build along the way. The study award is about seasonally coming together to learn from and grow with one another.”
The theme of building communities, or “agoras,” has been a constant in Marcus’s life. “I’ve been fortunate to be part of and create agoras,” he said. “From joining Studio Asobi or Univer-Cities, to building Beyond the Latter Grade and Badminton Philosophy – these experiences have shown me how much we can achieve when we support each other.”
Building Agoras at NUSC
Today, as Residential Student Life Manager at NUSC, Marcus applies this philosophy to his daily work. He mentors students and fosters tight-knit communities within the residences. “I don’t see my role as just a job — it’s a deeply personal investment in my students to grow and thrive in an environment we build around shared experiences and personal development.”
As a Yale-NUS alumnus, Marcus is passionate about maturing the connection between Yale-NUS and NUSC, particularly as Yale-NUS prepares to close in 2025. “The closure of Yale-NUS College was devastating for us,” Marcus reflected. “But it enlivened our mission to be “a community of learning… in Asia, for the world”. This award is a manifestation of that legacy, something that may inspire NUS College students to likewise intertwine their living and learning with habits of creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Marcus is quick to point out that his journey was always shaped by community. “I stand on the shoulders of giants when it comes to my fellow alumni,” he said, smiling. “Our Yale-NUS legacy sculpture, Mater, symbolises that for me. It’s made of weathering steel, which shows how we’ve built ourselves to endure and evolve in the face of constant change. Even with the closure of Yale-NUS, our evergreen capacity collectivises and serves each other – this, of course, includes serving society at large and the undergraduates coming through NUSC’s doors.”
For Marcus, the relationship between Yale-NUS and NUSC is a dynamic one. “Consider the idea of iron sharpening iron it’s about how our engagement with each other can only foster stronger, more robust communities out of each other, if not together,” he explained. “In fact, doing so feels most consistent with our ethos all these years. Therefore, our engagements with NUSC should delay no more – it may just be the most ‘Yale-NUS thing’ to do.”
The Inspiration Behind Giving Back
When asked how his time at Yale-NUS influenced his decision to establish the study award, Marcus didn’t hesitate. “I love Yale-NUS! It was one of the most transformative periods of my life. The financial aid and scholarships I received opened up so many opportunities for me – from the Wu Hsioh Kwang Family Study Award to the Chinese Language Scholarship supported by the Tan Chin Tuan Chinese Culture & Civilisation Programme. I could focus on my studies, explore new interests, and build lasting friendships with people from all over the world. It’s only natural that I’d want to honour this community that’s given me so much by supporting others in its name”.
“That’s why Kingfishers will recognise ‘Agora’ as a nod to the eponymous café that sits in the heart of their campus, gathering our Saga, Elm, and Cendana Colleges into a collective sojourn.”
Even as most of Marcus and his fellow alumni’s stories are documented on the Yale-NUS Legacy website, he looks to the future and hopes the study award will inspire fellow alumni to give in their own way. “As a Kingfisher, I believe that the things we love are best experienced when shared,” he said. “I hope this study award encourages more of us to get involved, support the next generation of students, and keep building agoras — wherever we go.”
A Legacy of Support
Reflecting on his journey and what lies ahead, Marcus is hopeful. “This award isn’t just about the money — it’s about creating avenues where students can thrive, explore, and build meaningful connections. My hope is that as NUSC students take up the Yale-NUS Alumni – Sojourners Agora Study Award, they’ll be inspired to sojourn and create yet more agoras, and give back in ways that go far beyond themselves.”
Marcus credits the heart behind his support to his faith. He concludes, “I give because I believe in the teaching that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” The study award is but a humble reflection of that spirit.
