- Hong Kong Budding Scientists Award – Reporter Award (2018)
- HSBC Future Skills Development Project “Hong Kong 200” Leadership Project – Student Leader (2018)
- The Law Society of Hong Kong Moot Court Competition – Top 10 Best Team (2018)
- Kwun Tong Maryknoll College – Vice Head Prefect (2018-19)
- Kwun Tong Maryknoll College – English Debating Team Captain (2016-18)
My Growth Story
When I was a kid, I was afraid of the challenges in front of me. Just like my hedgehog, I enjoyed spending alone time in my cosy little room.
By the grace of God, my life began to change when I set foot in my beloved school – Kwun Tong Maryknoll College. I met teachers who had enlightened my world by introducing me to various external activities. They gave me endless words of encouragement to help me grow stronger.
To Learn
I gave my first try in the moot court competition and got the chance to know more about law. It is well known that law is the foundation of a well-ordered society and justice must be served with an impartial law. When it comes to judgement making, I realized that Lady Justice is not ruthless; she needs to strike a careful balance between lawfulness, reasonableness and compassion. The juggling has gradually helped me sharpen my critical thinking skills.
To Engage
My engagement in social affairs empowers me to make change possible. Hong Kong is well known for its pricey and cramped housing estates. I wish to investigate further the problems and solutions of land supply at the time of the heated debate. I was given a chance to voice our opinions to the Task Force on Land Supply about urban redevelopment. My teammates and I interviewed local residents and shoppers at Sham Shui Po. We then produced a video and presented to the members of the Task Force to reveal the plight of the residents living in the decayed community. Unexpectedly, our voices were valued and the Task Force mentioned the need to speed up urban redevelopment in their report. From the experience, I realized that we should speak up and take action for the well-being of those in need. It encouraged me to have more engagements in helping the needy.
To Love
Sharing love is a life-changing process. To my surprise, not until after the Macau service trip did I realize my life had been transformed as well.
I was introduced to Sky, an SEN child diagnosed with hyperactivity disorder. When I first met Sky, he scared me off. He was bouncing and pouncing with delight, ignoring everyone. Sometimes he screwed his face up and stomped his feet, went red in the face and punched me in the stomach. His peers found him difficult to mingle with, thus leaving him alone.
But soon I discovered the gentle side of Sky. Though he dismantled and re-assembled the microphone stand, he generously gave it to me as a gift. Though he slipped away from my hands, he brought us snacks and drinks when he returned. He even cuddled me when I was delivering my farewell message.
I find a deep sense of fulfilment in children services. As their grins get wider, I start to smile. Sky does not deserve the labelling and stereotyping as children who are incapable of understanding emotions or fail to converse with their peers. In my view, he is bottled with love and care. He loves to run and squeal, just like other kids, simply because that makes him feel happy. There is no difference between Sky and other ordinary kids. He has a charming smile that is contagious. Similarly, he simply needs to be understood and supported.
My experience with Sky has established my career goal of becoming a paediatric psychiatrist. Through devising appropriate treatment plans, behavioural disorders can be curbed. I wish in the future, every child can grow up joyfully without any unnecessary “special” labelling. Finally, I would like to thank my family for giving me a happy childhood. Without them, I would not have such extraordinary accomplishments.
“We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”
Winston Churchill