[betterunix]

"As for the PhD student... There is more than meets the eye here. You don't walk away from 4 years of work in the last month without reason"

Says who? Maybe this student has no interest in going into academia and does not see the point of completing a PhD program.

[solarmist]

There's nothing wrong with what he said. Even you gave an alternative reason.

The student has a reason, we just don't know what it is.