曾被四所初院"踢出" 南大助教出书激励迷失者（早报转贴）

Fiona2004

王珏琪　报道

[email protected]

　　幼时一段不愉快经历没有把南洋理工大学助理教授梁凯文击垮，现在的他转为帮助前囚犯创业赚取更高的收入。他利用从大学所学的知识，协助前囚犯写企划案，申请非盈利机构所推出的贷款计划，为他们筹募创业资金。

　　梁凯文（31岁）的小六会考总积分只有200分，后来顺利升上初级学院，但却先后被四所初院下令退学。不过，他凭着努力不懈的精神，最后考上美国波士顿大学（Boston
University），还在四年内获得两个学士学位和两个硕士学位，并获得普林斯顿大学（Princeton
University）博士学位，目前是南大经济系助理教授。

　　10岁那年，梁凯文遭性侵，幼小的心灵自此蒙上阴影。他说，他从此不再轻易相信他人，对求学也失去兴趣。他升上中学后不专心上课，反而阅读感兴趣的哲学和历史书籍。

　　后来，他在O水准会考中取得不错的成绩，被一所初院录取，但上课时仍然不专心，只专注地阅读他感兴趣的大学经济教科书。有一次，一名教师因此嘲讽他是弱智，听不懂指示，于是他干脆不上课，到校园的一角自修。结果他的成绩不及格，被校长叫去问话后也屡劝不听，最后校方要求他退学。他前后到四所初院求学，但每次都重蹈覆辙，最终只能退学。

　　幸好，梁凯文遇到生命中的“贵人”，一名代课教师常在周末约他和需要帮助的学生见面，聆听他们的心事和解答他们课业上的问题。

　　梁凯文说：“他很真诚地对待我，不把我当笨蛋，真的关心我和我的梦想。”在该名教师的协助下，梁凯文自修准备A水准，后来凭着优异的A水准和学能评估测验（SAT）成绩被波士顿大学录取。
在美国开启新人生
　　到了美国，梁凯文认为这是他人生重新开始的机会，立志在四年内考取四个学位，向父母证明他并不是失败者。为了在短时间内完成课程，他一天只睡四个小时。这些努力都获得了回报，他几乎每科都考到A，后来也获得奖学金。

　　梁凯文相信，中国经济会崛起，因此从大学二年级起就存钱趁暑假到中国打工，也学习投资房地产，并在中国赚取了人生第一个100万元。赚足500万元后，他决定收手，因为感到“闷了”。

　　去年获得博士学位后，他回国加入标新局担任经济师。他也同非政府组织合作，帮助前囚犯创业，至今已成功协助至少一人申请到贷款，成为小贩开摊做生意。

谨记恩师一番话

回国助经历相同者

　　今年6月选择到南大担任讲师，因为他希望能帮助学生圆梦。他谨记那名代课教师之前跟他说的一番话“我要你回来帮助那些跟你有相同经历的人。”

　　他把人生经历撰写成书《新加坡的迷途儿子》（Singapore’s Lost
Son），本月初正式推出。他前天在南大举行公开讲座介绍这本书及分享自己的故事。经历了过去的种种，梁凯文学会“不要放弃”，这次出书也是为了鼓励那些不得志的人要积极面对人生，不要轻易放弃。

Fiona2004

Dr. K.W. Leong

Two simple principles have guided me to where i am today: staying positive and staying committed to my dreams. Where am I today? I made my first million while completing a Bachelor of Arts degree (double major in Economics and Mathematics) and two master’s degrees in the same subjects at Boston University. I was the first in my class to attain a PhD in Economics from Princeton University (and along the way, another master’s in Economics as well). I have a wide network of colleagues and friends that spans far beyond these institutions to the international stage. I accomplished all of these while still in my twenties.

Where was I before? I was a dropout. I was branded too “subnormal” for books. Repairing cars was to be the extent of my career life. But I was a dropout of more than just the education system. I was a dropout of friends. I was a dropout of a future. I was a dropout of myself. I was publicly caned in school and ostracized by my peers. But these are just a pinch compared to the hard hooks life has thrown my way. I was repeatedly sexually assaulted as a child — once from the man whom I trusted to fulfil my childhood dream of becoming a man, and from another man whom I trusted to be a true teacher. And with this came fear — fear that destroyed my ability to trust the people around me. Ultimately, it was thisfear that took away my ability to trust in myself.

My journey from adversity to achievement has been a rough one. Yet, in spite of all these adversities, I have achieved the respect from not just high-ranking government officials who make crucial decisions for their countries, but also from professors of the world’s top universities as well as leading businessmen of international enterprises. The essence of what I have done was to realize my dreams as an individual and to help others realize their dreams as a leader.

I have written this book not only to share with you the story of my best and worst days. I wish to share with you how I turned the darkest moments of my life into the vision of myself that I had dreamed of as a damaged child and struggling man.While staying positive and never letting go of my dreams, I have developed a number of simple and innovative strategies that have been applicable to all aspects of my life, whether academic, professional or personal.

Life’s problems, without a doubt in my mind, are complicated, confusing and may leave you feeling beaten with little hope. I still remember the overwhelming magnitude of my problems and how small I felt in confronting them. But I can tell you with even more certainty that these complex problems always have simple solutions. And I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that there always is hope.

In the pages that follow, I shall show you how I made it from school dropout and an academic reject to a millionaire and Princeton PhD holder. If I can fulfil my dreams, so can you. Stay positive. Commit to your dreams. But, above all, fulfil your dreams.