A memory of
my mentor’s retirement.
In life,
there are people who pass through our lives as teachers, and then there are
those rare few who quietly reshape the way we think, work, and carry ourselves
long after the lessons end. In my life, Professor S Mark Heim, who will retire on
April 16, 2026, has reshaped me to be a different person in many ways.
Today, I
find myself reflecting not just on what you taught me, but on how deeply your
presence has been woven into my academic journey.
My first meeting still etched in my memory—how I arrived
with more uncertainty than direction, more questions than confidence. You
didn’t rush to give answers. Instead, you asked better questions. That was your
gift: not simply guiding students toward solutions, but teaching us how to
think with clarity, patience, and purpose. You created space for curiosity, and
within that space, growth felt possible.
There were moments when the work felt overwhelming, when
progress was slow, when doubt crept in. In those moments, your steady
encouragement mattered more than you probably realized. You never demanded
perfection, but you insisted on integrity—on doing the work thoughtfully, on
caring about the process as much as the outcome. That lesson has stayed with me
far beyond any single project or milestone.
What I will remember most is not just your expertise,
though it was immense, but your consistency. The open door. The careful
feedback. The way you treated each idea seriously, even when it was still
taking shape. You showed that mentorship is not about authority, but about
investment—in people in their potential, and in their ability to grow into
something they cannot yet fully see.
Your retirement marks the closure of a remarkable
chapter, but it does not bring an end to your influence. That influence lives
on in the work of your students, in the confidence you helped build, and in the
habits of thought you instilled in all of us. It lives on in every careful
question we ask, every challenge we approach with patience, every moment we
choose thoughtfulness over haste. It is not merely the end of a career, but the
closing of a remarkable chapter that has shaped countless lives, including my
own. After fifty years of faithful service in teaching and ministry, your
retirement feels like the turning of a page that carried with it both gratitude
and a deep sense of loss. I realized that your legacy could not be measured
merely in years or titles. It is found in the lives you influenced, the minds
you have shaped, and the faith you have nurtured in others.
Even now, twelve years after I left Boston, I do not
think of it as a loss. Instead, I see it as a moment of blessing-a reminder of
what a life of faithful service looks like. Your influence on me is a testimony
that inspires me to pursue my own calling with the same dedication, humility,
and faithfulness you exemplified.
Thank you for your guidance, your generosity, and your
unwavering belief in your students. It has made more of a difference than words
can fully capture.
As you step into this next chapter, I hope it brings you the same sense of
fulfillment that you have given to so many others. Your legacy is not just in
what you have accomplished, but in the people, you have shaped—and I am deeply
grateful to be one of them.
Yours Mentee,
Jeffrey Lian
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