Sukij - visionary, learner, teacher, friend

Dear Sukij

You've been in my thoughts every day since I heard the news. And, as all the happy memories come forward from the back of my brain to the front, I feel so blessed that our lives crossed paths while we were both here at the University of Maryland. And, even more blessed that we got a chance to see each other earlier this year in March.

I found some old email messages in my archives from back when I first came back to the University of Maryland in February of 1995. I helped you facilitate a session in the IBM-TQ Teaching Theater on doing a visioning session to think forward to the future and the affects of technology both in the business world and education. All of our conversations always involve some level of visioning - you are always thinking forward about future impacts of today's and tomorrow's technologies. And, I for one, always loved our conversations about that and always left reinvigorated to find the "next best thing" to do!

You are always constantly learning about new technologies and keeping on top of emerging trends and you've always been a teacher for me when we would get together even though you may have felt I was the one teaching you! I am really not surprised that you were the one who actually showed me how twitter could be used effectively! And, I thank you for all the articles you started sending me after we met in March! All very useful and thought provoking.

When we first met at Maryland, there was this "instant connection" that was really great. We have very similar approaches to customer service and are both interested in learning about new ways to collaborate and to help use technology effectively in the support of teaching and learning. After you left Maryland, we would find ourselves touching base every now and then and each time it felt like we had just seen each other yesterday!

Thank you for your friendship. You have always impressed me with your enthusiasm for life and the important of a balance between work and personal life. As I look back at some of our email exchanges back in 1995, I realize now how you were gently reminding me to not work late and to have time for my personal life.

I am so happy that I got a chance to see you off yesterday at the hospital. I hope your journey back home to Thailand was comfortable.

Peace,
Ellen