15 GIVING 14 HKUST Alumni Transform student lives with your donation The Alumni Endowment Fund (AEF) is an important way you can help students thrive, and create a future legacy at HKUST that everyone can be proud of. In the process, you will help make HKUST a powerhouse university for the future. Perseverance pays off Our Business undergraduate Theo Wong was awarded the Alumni Endowment Fund Perseverance Scholarship in 2021/2022. A special education needs (SEN) student, Theo’s scholarship was made possible by the Alumni Endowment Fund (AEF), showing its deep value to the community. Read his story and witness how important alumni contributions are in action. When did you know you were different from other students? I had an uncommon childhood and development. When I was still an infant, there were differences between me and same-aged babies – I was a little bit clumsier. At primary school, these were becoming more prominent, I had huge difficulties sitting still, thinking patterns were not the same, and learning was very challenging. What have been some of your achievements at HKUST? At HKUST, I have been through many new adventures and interesting encounters, and overcame many of my weaknesses. I have been an MC and a moderator at many events. This gave me the confidence and technical skills to take up other challenges. I must thank all the people that supported me all the way. I never thought I could come this far – let’s see where we can go on this journey. Have you had fun at HKUST? It’s been great. I have become more willing to make new friends and network this semester. I have stopped being a wallflower! I don’t really play sports, but I like some board games and can play with like-minded people. While classmates might not know about my situation, I have always been well accepted at HKUST. It’s the best environment. What’s the importance of this scholarship to you? I am honored to be one of the recipients of this scholarship. The significance of the award goes beyond monetary value. It represents my contributions to the SEN community, and reinforces my belief in the importance of creating a more inclusive and equitable world. Now, I can overcome more hurdles and achieve goals that I once thought were out of reach, and work towards the betterment of the community. What are your career plans? I’ve been gaining experience and honing my skills through internships. I want to study a master’s degree of Social Science in Psychology and pursue a career as an educational psychologist. I also realized knowing more about how business works can also help the SEN community in profound ways as well. It’s good to be all-rounded, whether that is knowing more about diversity and inclusion, environmental, social and governance (ESG), organizational structures, or finance. What message would you like to share with everyone? Special needs students should not be highlighted or think of themselves as being disabled. When we talk about inclusion, what we need to highlight is ability. We shouldn’t see disadvantages or weakness – we should focus on selfacceptance and our strengths. What are our best abilities? Let’s look at how we can excel. Know more about HKUST’s support to students with special needs A unique history Established in 2012, the AEF marks many milestones in the history of HKUST. It is our first-ever endowment fund to receive donations mainly from alumni. It works in a very simple and yet effective way: The principal amount is kept in perpetuity and used only the income from investments. As a result, the fund has become a reliable and stable force benefitting our students. How YOU have helped The AEF Student Emergency Fund provides financial This testimony is witness to what you can do to change lives. Don’t hesitate, and make a donation to the AEF today. In acknowledgment of your contribution, there will be opportunities for plaques engraved with your name, or naming opportunities on campus, depending on the donation amount. Every alumnus donating more than HK$500 will receive a limited-edition Redbird pin signifying your donor status. DONATE NOW Thank you for your support! Act Now I was completely at a loss when my father passed away from cancer as my family didn’t have any savings, even to cover my father’s funeral expenses. Without alumni donors, I might have had to find a job and never got the precious chance to work as an undergraduate researcher in Prof. Nancy Ip’s lab. This experience paved the way for my admission to the Caltech PhD program. assistance to HKUST students facing unforeseen emergencies that severely disrupt their studies. For many years it has been a crucial lifeline for our students, and has changed lives. This is greatly demonstrated by the situation suffered by Kathy Cheung, who encountered serious misfortune in year 1. With the generous and continued support from our alumni, she has been given opportunities that she could have never even dreamed of. Kathy Cheung BSc (Biochemistry and Cell Biology - International Research Enrichment Track) 2018 PhD student at Caltech Beneficiary of AEF Student Emergency Fund 2016/2017
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