MBA at 90

One of the most inspirational stories at the 27th Convocation was that of Krishnan Arunasalam.

Born in 1933, he decided to dive headfirst into the world of teaching at the young age of 21. He started from the ground up, worked his way up the ladder, and eventually rocked the title of headmaster at a secondary school, before moving on to the Education Department.

Krishnan and his wife raised two high achievers – a lawyer daughter in Seremban and a doctor son in Kuala Lumpur. But, you know, life has a way of throwing curveballs. After he retired and his beloved wife passed away, Krishnan packed his bags and moved in with his daughter.

He could have kicked back, lived a life of leisure, and binge-watched TV shows all day. Instead, at the ripe age of 77 in 2010, he went back to school.

What did he study? “I took up Bachelor of Accounting because I used to teach accounts at a school in Kuala Lumpur,” he replied.

But why did he choose OUM? Well, they had him at “huge discount for senior citizens,” plus the Seremban Learning Centre was practically in his backyard.

Krishnan was over the moon. “I had been teaching for more than 40 years and being able to continue studying at this age is fantastic,” he proudly declared.

He didn’t just crack the books solo. He made new buddies and, in a hilarious twist of fate, even studied alongside a couple of his former students. “We were in the same class taking the same course! It felt great that they were striving to also improve themselves through education.”

Sure, there were a few bumps in studying online but with a little help from his daughter, Krishnan conquered those challenges. “I like OUM’s flexibility. When I had to undergo an operation, the University allowed me to defer two semesters and then return to my studies.”

Now, you might be thinking that he hung up his student hat after grabbing that degree at the spry age of 83 in 2017. Nope! At 85, he decided to do his MBA. “I enjoyed my second degree so much more as I got a lot of one-to-one attention,” Krishnan spilled the beans.

Now at the ripe old age of 90, Krishnan strutted his stuff across the graduation stage this year. He not only received the Award for Lifelong Learning but also made it to the newspapers. He even had his 15 minutes of fame on Astro Vaanavil’s live talkshow, Saravedi Night!

So, what’s the lesson here? Well, let Krishnan be your guiding star. He’s living proof that education isn’t just for the young ones; it’s for anyone who wants to improve themselves. His story should be an inspiration for you to keep chasing your dreams, no matter what your birth certificate says. Thumbs up for lifelong learning!