- International Junior Science Olympiad – Gold Medal (2021)
- The “Safe Cracking” International Physics Tournament – Overall Third Place, First Place in “Best Burglars” Award, “Peers’ Most Favourite Safe” Award (Top 10) (2023)
- Infomatrix World Finals Science Project Category – Gold Medal, Top 3 in Category (2023)
- South China Morning Post Student of the Year Scientist and Mathematician Category – 2nd Runner Up (2023)
- Asian Physics Olympiad – Honourable Mention (2023)
At the beginning of my journey in exploring science, I viewed knowledge as the endpoint of questions. From using mechanics to explain everyday phenomena to studying genetics for understanding evolution, we always ask why and systematically seek answers. However, my mindset changed after participating in subsequent activities.
When I first entered high school, a few classmates and I conducted street visits in Sham Shui Po, discovering a shortage of volunteers in some community centers. We started helping organize volunteer services. Hoping to expand our service scope and raise awareness of poverty issues, we established a non-profit organization Edify in June 2022, with around 80 volunteers providing tutoring services to underprivileged students in organizations across six districts. One time, a group of students gathered around me, asking questions like why paper airplanes can fly and why electrical wires conduct electricity. Their curiosity made me realize that we could not only provide academic assistance but also ignite children’s interests and potentials. We started organizing STEM workshops and quizzes, guiding children to conduct experiments using everyday objects. We also held workshops on Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese music, world festivals, DIY instruments, family fairs and more. I deeply recognized that knowledge is not only about finding answers to questions but also about inspiring and changing others.
During summer 2022, I, along with several professors and university students, participated in a cosmology forum led by Professor Kenneth Young. It sparked my interest in the topic of “dark matter,” leading me to join research groups at several universities. I experienced that research is not limited to those deemed “talented.” With curiosity, passion, and perseverance, high school students can also contribute to scientific research. As the only female member of the Hong Kong Physics Olympiad team, I am also acutely aware of gender stereotypes and exam-oriented education causing girls’ reluctance to explore STEM beyond the classroom. Therefore, I founded SciEYEnce Lecturers, a community for high school girls to engage in STEM explorations. From designing a “belt conveyor” mechanism to automatically collect clothes during rain, to testing MSG concentration in food based on the absorbance of Cu-MSG complex, and predicting typhoon damage to 157 trees using wind simulations and tree mechanistic models, we gradually believed in the boundless possibilities of knowledge to improve lives, regardless of gender, age, or perceived talent.
While I aspire to become an astrophysicist to unravel the unknowns in physics, I will continue using my knowledge and experiences to inspire and motivate the next generation of scientists.