169 168 Chapter Eight: Faculty and Staff Testimonials Chapter Eight: Faculty and Staff Testimonials “ Graduate studies are at often times challenging as the students undergo a process of major transformation and growth into groomed researchers and scientists. Each and every student is unique, equipped with a set of coping skills to a varying degree that would determine the level of distress he or she experiences and eventually the outcome of the process. In the process, though, a crucial role lies with us, the Supervisors, in our capacity to tune our mentoring to the needs of each individual, not only in academic aspect but also in emotional level. While some students require more supportive and positive mentoring than others, catching early signs of excessive distress for alarming anxiety or depression can be elusive. This was the case with one of my students last year when he suddenly shut down and spiraled into depression. He stopped responding to emails and messages although he initially continued to show up in the office yet with little progress in his research. He was unable to explain neither himself nor his motives behind his inexplicable behavior. Only later, did I come to know that he had stopped checking his emails altogether. However it appeared at the time that he simply chose to be lax and negligent. On several occasions, he agreed to be more responsive in his communication as well as research yet only to fall back again. Not until his apparent indifference to loss of his scholarship, did it occur to me that he needed professional support. I promptly encouraged him to visit the Counseling and Wellness Center, which I’m glad he did. Through the support he received, he managed to get back on his feet and attend his research. If I had noticed the signs and made the referral earlier, the recovery could have been quicker! ” Anonymous (A Professor from the School of Engineering) “ We all have emotions and need affections. We should be showing our love and care to our neighbors as much as we could, just like our desire for being loved and taken care of. It is just because we were all created equally. That is the most beautiful part of humanity. The world would have been quite different if we are all more committed to it and be more willing to extend our friendly hands to touch others’ hearts. Teachers are not just doing the job of passing on knowledge to students. We are also mentors of our youngsters. They need us. They left from a more structured environment in their high school years and joined us here at HKUST. Our institution provides them with a vibrant environment where they learn to be independent and explore their own potential fully. They would spend and share their moments with us for four years. These four years are filled with opportunities and challenges. They are in cross roads. Some were worried about making new friends; anxious about getting good grades; puzzled with their first job upon graduation and some even were simply struggling for a lot of other things here. Teaching at university is a rewarding career. Lecturing in lecture theaters is certainly fun. But, it is equally fulfilling when we could spend some precious moments with our students at cafeteria or open areas on campus listening to their personal problems. Every time I receive postcards from students; thank you letters from students and sometimes even hand-made token of their gratitude, I could actually feel how they felt. The kind of joy that I have is always enormous. We are not bystanders, we should act as “co-walkers” of our youngsters. Maybe we are not able to give them immediate answers or ways out right away, but one thing for certain though, they need our ears. Let them know we listen and let them feel we care. Let us build a caring community for our youngsters here. Together we unite, we could do things right! ” Dr Kelvin Mak Senior Lecturer, Department of Accounting UG Programs Coordinator (Accounting)
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