167 166 Chapter Eight: Faculty and Staff Testimonials Chapter Eight: Faculty and Staff Testimonials “ I am proud to be a part of HKUST campus community in the past ten years, particularly in Counseling and Wellness Center of the Dean of Students’ Office which has committed to enriching the student life far beyond “affairs”. Being a clinical psychologist, I truly believe that sustaining a healthy campus through dedicated provision of mental health services can help our students to be more ready to face stressful situations. We all experience distress, hardship, disappointment, hopelessness and helplessness from time to time. Mutual trust and support, inter-connectedness, compassion and concerted team spirits are all extremely crucial when we are experiencing difficult times or symptoms of psychological distress. As an excellent observer while interacting with our fellow students, your sensitivity and helpful responses to their negative feelings and thoughts may send them a flash of hope, a belief of confidence and a way out. Every student deserves our timely attention and concern on campus so as to enhance their resilience. It is always important to detect their problems or issues at an early stage and immediately begin to address the roots of the disruptive or distressing behaviors. After all, the strength of our community relies on how well we care for and look out for each other. Thank you. ” Dr Silver Chan Head, Counseling and Wellness Clinical Psychologist “ Since the well-being of each and every student is a predictor of student academic and personal success, I, as a lecturer having twelve years teaching at HKUST, am more certain than ever that placing student mental health is at the top of my list of priorities in order to ensure effective learning. I usually start a lesson with some chit-chat so students can verbalise their feelings and eventually realise that other classmates are just like them having a feeling of vulnerability or having the same wish to be well, and then they will feel interconnected. Though our primary mission is to support students on their learning, we should be sensitive to students who appear to be in distress. Last year, one of my students told me that his father was diagnosed with cancer and he was anxious. I comforted him after the class and shared with him the passing of my mother who died of the same disease. I reached out and visited his father and then he began to see other people making the same journey. He knew he was not alone. Another student who tended to avoid conversation with me was very quiet in the class. Since he did not show up on the day of assessment, I called him and found out that he showed symptoms of depression as he did not have energy to go to the classroom despite the fact that he was in the library. Then, I met him and walked him down to the clinic to see a doctor. He was also convinced to see a student counselor to lift his mood at the same time. Now he seems fairly satisfied with his study. Without my notice of his feelings, he would have probably ended up in a very different story. It is a privilege to be the one who can witness students’ growth, be attuned to their struggles and care for them at some point in their lives. Meanwhile, we also need to let students know that we love them and they are not just a name on a roster. ” Ms S.Y. Elaine Wong Lecturer, Center for Language Education
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