To Inspire. To Be Inspired. – 30 Stories on HKUST Faculty, Alumni and Students

There’s a saying in the world of entrepreneurs: if you’re going to fail, fail forward. This was true for Lee TszFung. Determined to find success from failure, he landed on a new path, where inspiration has become the mantra underpinning everything he does. Lee Tsz-Fung is a miracle worker. Few have been able to turn hardships and setbacks like those he’s experienced into a success story, but today Tsz-Fung is thriving — and he has set up a nonprofit organization to share what he’s learned with those who follow. Tsz-Fung’s path to entrepreneurship was bumpy, to say the least. In Form 1, he was bullied and found it difficult to make friends. His sense of self-worth was low, and he had severe social anxiety. For four years, he sought a sense of purpose and value in online gaming, becoming a frequent visitor of internet cafes. His 49 academic performance was poor, and, though he realized he preferred practical learning, he had little opportunity to find his feet. As he progressed through secondary school, Tsz-Fung’s horizons slowly broadened, but his academic performance continued to falter. He received just one point in the first Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination. He decided to retake the qualification, quit online gaming, and devote himself to studying. When he sat his exams once again, he finally gained four points. Then, Tsz-Fung discovered an alternative pathway for secondary-school leavers to obtain a diploma, and things started to look up. He focused on IT, where the highly practical course and experiential activities suited him perfectly, and he found a mentor who opened his eyes to the many social realities and responsibilities of being an adult, inspiring him and changing his future.

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