Chee Keong Lin

Expected to study engineering, Chee Keong recalls paging through Index of Majors in high school, a book that gave overviews of various professions…in alphabetical order. "There it was—architecture!" exclaims Chee Keong. "I read on, intrigued by the creativity that was grounded in reality. It was sort of love at first discovery." Chee Keong specializes in healthcare, where working with physicians and nurses has had a profound impact on him. "They want to give back to their community," he says. "I realized then that my work could also make an impact on the community." Chee Keong also feels great kinship with his SmithGroup community. "As a foreign student in the U.S., I was extremely driven to succeed. Coming to SmithGroup was a pivotal point in my career and my life." Chee Keong’s drive is also alive when it comes to jigsaw puzzles. "I love the challenge," he says. "The largest one was 9,000 pieces, six feet across and took me seven months to complete."