Students pursue their dreams despite adversity and give back to the society
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In the face of adversity and setbacks, some may opt to beat a retreat or blame it on fate, while others may choose to tackle challenges proactively. Tsz-lok, a social sciences undergraduate at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), is one of the latter. When he was 15, Tsz-lok lost his eyesight in a matter of a few months due to an illness, which rocked his life and adversely affected his studies. However, Tsz-lok did not give up but chose to be positive as he adapted to his new life. He learned to read braille and use the walking cane. He even did very well in the exams for the Hong Kong Diploma for Secondary Education.
In addition to mastering the skill-sets for a life in the dark, Tsz-lok overcame his shyness by performing in a play to demonstrate the notion that everything is possible. With his outstanding academic achievements and enthusiasm to give back to society, Tsz-lok was nominated as one of the awardees of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships this year. Tsz-lok said he had received a lot of support from many since his vision loss and he hoped to approach more people and broaden his horizon by trying out new experiences through the network of the Jockey Club Scholars Alumni Association and its events. More importantly, Tsz-lok has aimed to join forces with other JC Scholars to help those in need.
Students encouraged to give back to society
Tsz-lok and other awardees of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships have one thing in common: they all share a heartfelt passion for contributing to society. This is exactly the unique feature of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships. Apart from their academic excellence, the awardees are actively involved in extracurricular and volunteer activities, utilising their skills to give back to society.
A total of 42 awardees, including Tsz-lok, attended the annual Jockey Club Scholarships Presentation Ceremony and Graduation Dinner earlier. Club Chairman, Dr Anthony W K Chow, said: “Over the past 20 years, the Jockey Club Scholars have distinguished themselves not only academically, but also through their leadership qualities and community commitment,” he said. “Talent exists in every part of our community. So too does the desire to contribute and give back. So it is only right and proper that we should support the full diversity of learning needs so that all students can achieve their potential and give their best.”
Also attending the dinner was the founder of Esperanza, John Tsang Chun-wah, who encouraged the students to rise to society’s future challenges in a proactive manner. He said: “We are confronting the largest transformation of our civilisation. Even the meaning of being human will be questioned. Let us prepare our young generation properly to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.”
Another awardee is Tiffany Liu, who studies psychology at CUHK. Thanks to her outstanding academic performance, she was initially enrolled in a highly coveted law programme. However, Tiffany found that her passion lay elsewhere after the first semester. Feeling confused and helpless, she sought psychological counselling that inspired her self-discovery and she became interested in psychology as her self-understanding deepened. She later changed to major in psychology as she aspired to become a clinical psychologist.
Tiffany said the scholarship enabled her to be fully focused on her studies. She hoped to learn from different people and broaden her horizon which would help her contribute to improving the mental well-being of Hong Kong people.
Nurturing future leaders for decades
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships was established by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in 1998. Some HK$400 million in scholarships has been awarded to more than 600 young students of diverse backgrounds and capabilities, helping them with financial assistance as well as multiple development pathways to become future community leaders.
Apart from providing support to students enrolled in the undergraduate programmes at the eight local universities funded by the University Grants Committee and the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, the scholarship scheme has expanded to benefit students with special educational needs, vocational education students and postgraduates to pursue their studies at the University of Oxford and Harvard University.
To strengthen the bonds among JC Scholars, the Jockey Club Scholars Alumni Association has been established to provide scholars with opportunities to serve the community. Together with various activities organised by The Scholarship Secretariat, the scholarship scheme helps promote students’ learning and personal growth. For instance, the regular “High Table Dinner” provides a platform for JC Scholars to exchange ideas with local leaders. Some JC Scholars have also had the opportunity to attend leadership courses at the University of Oxford and Harvard University, which help to nurture their skills as compassionate leaders who care about our society.
