Inspiring memories of Harrow International’s first decade
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When the first intake of pupils arrived at Harrow International School Hong Kong back in 2012, they were no doubt experiencing the usual mixed sensations of anxiety and hope.
They were entering the unfamiliar environment of a brand-new boarding school, which sought to blend the traditional principles of a British-style education with aspects of international learning and culture found in one of Asia’s most dynamic cities.
But they knew too that with top-class facilities, a good balance of academic and extracurricular activities, and a house system providing pastoral support and a sense of community, they would have all kinds of opportunities to flourish and find their own direction in life.
For four senior members of that first group, who graduated in 2014, the school’s 10th anniversary, which happens to coincide with the 450th anniversary of the sister school in the UK, is a good time to look back on those early days, reflecting on the different paths they have taken and just how far they have come.
Chloe Choi, for instance, went on to study veterinary medicine at the University of Glasgow, then worked for a year in a small animal general practice, and is now a laboratory veterinarian at Hong Kong University’s Centre of Comparative Medicine.
There, she works with a team of six vets, managing and monitoring the animals and providing advice and training for researchers conducting experimental projects.
Still, though, she has vivid memories of her time at Harrow: singing alto in the choir, taking piano, hip-hop dance, tennis and yoga lessons; organising sports day; and running orientation days plus tours for prospective parents.
“Being a weekly boarder definitely helped me to open up and be more social,” Choi says. “And the summer placement programme was a great way to gain work experience and useful insights into what careers related to your chosen university subject would involve. I was panicking a bit before applying, but I spent two weeks at a small animal clinic which reinforced my interest in veterinary medicine, and I made some good connections there.”
Fellow 2014 graduate Max Copley accepted an offer from the University of Manchester, which led to his current role teaching business and economics at DLD College London. It is an independent boarding school, where he will also be head of an e-sports programme to be launched in September this year.
“I’m very excited about the new programme and, one day, I also hope to be a housemaster,” says Copley, whose early ambitions and outlook were shaped by playing football, hockey, rugby and tennis, and being part of a Model United Nations team. “I was inspired to become a teacher by the brilliant staff at Harrow, who showed me this is a lifelong career. They all loved their jobs, and I am now trying to replicate their standards.”
He recalls too the leadership opportunities, in particular the chance to organise the first entry in a 24-hour race, the feeling of community surrounding it, and the success enjoyed.
“Following that, I was made a prefect, which showed me that hard work and commitment pay off,” Copley says. “Harrow’s framework made me a well-rounded individual, which has since helped in every aspect of my life – socially academically and professionally.”
For Sophia Hotung, a writer and illustrator who currently flits between the United States and Hong Kong, a treasured memory of her schooldays is having so many opportunities to write plays, stories and songs.
“But I never felt I could support myself by writing, so later on when I graduated from Barnard College, I initially went into tech,” she says. “Now I run my own business, using the tech and business skills picked up during my corporate career.”
Recent projects include co-creating her first NFT collection, publishing a first children’s chapter book as K11 Artus’ artist-in-residence, and preparing for a debut collection at the Affordable Art Fair.
As the school’s first head girl, Hotung helped to define that role and learned the importance of taking the initiative.
“Since we were all new, there was a sense that if you wanted something to happen, you had to make it happen,” she says. “The benefits of trying to build stuff, celebrating successes and bouncing back from failures stuck with me and helped in dealing with setbacks from my disabilities.”
Similarly, Struan Clark, now a solicitor specialising in commercial litigation and arbitration for the London office of well-regarded US law firm Greenberg Traurig, sees a direct link between past and present.
Having completed an LLB degree at Durham University and a further qualification at the University of Law in London, he now acts for international clients in a wide range of commercial disputes.
“The teachers at Harrow always encouraged me to strengthen my analytical and communication skills, which are essential for my profession,” says Clark, who was head of house and starred on the sports field. “They actively assisted me in obtaining legal and commercial experience through placements with firms in Hong Kong, and I felt student welfare was always a top priority.”
