Giving Back to SIT: Eugene Goh Helps Students See Beyond the Degree

Giving Back to SIT is a series spotlighting alumni who continue to make a difference in the SIT community long after graduation. Whether through mentoring, volunteering, sharing their expertise, or supporting student initiatives, these SITizens demonstrate that giving back can take many forms. In this feature, we speak with Eugene Goh, an alumnus and mentor with the SIT Alumni Mentoring Programme, about helping students broaden their horizons, navigate self-doubt and discover that career journeys are rarely as linear as they seem.

For Eugene Goh, BSc (Major in Hospitality Management), Class of 2015, mentoring is not about having all the answers. It is about asking the right questions, offering a fresh perspective and helping students recognise possibilities they may not have seen for themselves. Through the SIT Alumni Mentoring Programme, he has guided students through career uncertainty, encouraged them to embrace their transferable skills and reminded them that success is not defined by someone else’s timeline.

One of the most rewarding parts of mentoring, Eugene shared, is witnessing a student’s “lightbulb moment” – that instant when they realise their prospective career is not a narrow corridor defined strictly by their degree.

“I’ve watched mentees begin by thinking they are locked into a specific track, only to see their eyes light up when they realise how expansive the ecosystem actually is. It’s the moment they see that their specialty is just the foundation, and there are countless opportunities to pivot or innovate in ways they hadn’t considered.”

Helping students broaden their horizons and discover new possibilities is what keeps Eugene coming back as a mentor.

Showing Up with Intention

Balancing work with mentoring commitments can be challenging, but for Eugene, making time for his mentees comes down to a simple principle.

A former manager once shared a piece of advice that has stayed with him throughout his career: Treat people how you would want to be treated.

Reflecting on the people who invested their time and guidance in him, Eugene strives to offer his mentees the same level of care and intentionality.

“When I was navigating my own path, I valued the people who were truly present for me. Because of that, I make it a point to give my mentees the same level of intentionality.”

By approaching mentoring with this mindset, making time for mentoring sessions and alumni events becomes less about finding spare hours, and more about honouring a commitment to support the next generation of SITizens.

Focusing on What You Can Control

Among the many questions Eugene receives, one stands out as the most common:

“How do I deal with the feeling that my peers are doing so much better than me?”

He recognises that many students struggle with comparing themselves to others, particularly when social media often presents only carefully curated moments of success.

To help them navigate these feelings, Eugene introduces the Circle of Control model.

“Stop pouring energy into the ‘Circle of Concern’ – like your peers finding an internship opportunity earlier – and instead focus on your ‘Circle of Control’: your own skills, networking efforts and attitude.”

Rather than measuring themselves against someone else’s timeline, Eugene encourages students to invest in the things they can influence. In doing so, they often realise that building a meaningful career is less about keeping pace with others and more about staying true to their own values and aspirations.

Looking back on his own journey, Eugene also wishes he had learnt one lesson earlier:

“Don’t underestimate the power of transferable skills.”

Whether gained through retail, healthcare or other industries, experiences that may seem unrelated often come together to form a unique professional perspective. Eugene believes these transferable skills are what enable people to adapt, grow and succeed across different careers.

Growing Alongside His Mentees

While mentoring is often seen as giving back, Eugene believes it is equally an opportunity to continue learning.

Explaining his thought process to students encourages him to reflect on his own decisions and professional standards, while the fresh perspectives his mentees bring challenge him to think differently.

“Mentoring is honestly a two-way street; it’s just as much about my own growth as it is theirs. Their unique perspectives and life experiences often challenge my assumptions, keeping me grounded and empathetic.”

For Eugene, mentoring is not simply about sharing knowledge. It is about growing alongside the next generation, learning from one another and building a community where everyone can thrive.

Interested in becoming a mentor or mentee?

Whether you’re looking to gain career insights from experienced alumni or are keen to give back by supporting fellow SITizens, recruitment for the next cycle of the SIT Alumni Mentoring Programme will open next week – stay tuned!