Wow, that’s a lot! How did you do that?
First of all, as an Arts stream student in
high school, I was very fortunate to get into
this program, which is open to both Arts
and Science stream students. The global
exchange and internship opportunities
offered by HKUST and my program gave me
access to all corners of the world, letting me
learn and bring back with me some amazing
new insights. This, of course, would not
have been possible if I were lazier. I recall
that in my first year, I lived in the student
hall during the first semester and went
straight to Mauritius for six weeks during
my winter break. Summer break was even
more intense –I went to Shanghai for the
UNEP conference followed by the summer
courses to prepare for my exchange and
internship in Taiwan for a month. But when
there is a will, there is a way.
How did your interests, major expertise
and strengths synergize?
It sounds magical, like a witch trying to brew
a perfect potion, but it was the Mauritius
project that started it all. I enjoyed teaching
and communicating with local people about
marine conservation and recycling when in
fact, I was the one being educated. From
thousands of conversations with local
citizens, I learned, first-hand, a lot about
the country, their culture and how climate
change affects their daily lives. Had it not
been this project, I would not have such
a strong will to build stronger awareness
towards environmental conservation.
My other major source of inspiration was
the internship at the Taiwan Industrial
Technology Research Institute, where I
researched low-carbon infrastructure and
laboratories. I realized that I was not so fond
of the technicalities and engineering. On the
contrary, I developed an interest in creative
writing. I would write poetry during my free
time. I also published several articles on my
global project experiences:
“Call from the
Sahara”
,
“Slurp the Passion on a Shell”
and
“A Single Reason: 6 weeks, 42 stories, 600
people”
. I feel like writing more.
What is your next plan?
With my global in-field experiences,
knowledge in environmental management
and technology, and interest in creative
writing, I think I would be interested to
join the field of environmental journalism.
Through the past experiences, I have
discovered my interest in project-based
and communication work in environmental
areas including marine conservation and
recycling.
Upon graduation, I would pursue further
study in creative writing, while continuing to
explore the world.
Before entering the university, I never knew
what I could do after I graduate. I thought
I was likely to become just an ordinary
employee in somewhere. However, my
university experience so far has much
exceeded my expectations. Instead of
following trends, I define my own path.
After all these experiences, what matters
most?
If I have to summarize what I did and give
just one piece of advice to future university
students, I would definitely say, unremitting
endeavor matters the most. At a university
that can provide global opportunities of
work, study or project we want, it is up
to us to create our own ‘UNIQUE-versity’
experience. The university culture is also
important. We USTers all hold the belief that
it is not about a career selecting you, but
you selecting a career and living an amazing
life. The more you throw yourself out of your
comfort zone, the earlier you will find your
own successful path.
The last thing I want to be when I’m young is comfortable
017
2015
