Yoyo Yao

Three years ago, I accepted the offer from the School of Engineering, HKUST under my mother’s opposition, as in her conservative mind, stuff like engineering is only for men and never for women. I insisted, and I never regret. Though I made my choice based on the gorgeous campus of HKUST, and the policy of general year in which I can take any course freely and decide my final major, it is also impressive to look back upon what I have tried and learned in the past three years in HKUST. From the first line of code printing out “Hello world!” to understanding the latest research outcomes on computer vision; from doing an undergraduate research to preparing my final year project; from working as a peer mentor helper to becoming an Engineering Student Ambassador (ESA), HKUST has provided me the opportunities to try different things and perform different kinds of roles in such a short period. And with so many talented and passionate engineering students around, it is also very exciting to join the engineering community in HKUST.

I’m so excited to join the ESA program. Under the COVID-19 pandemic, we held online meetings instead of physical gatherings and training camp. Although it is pity that we didn’t have the chance to meet each other in person, I believe we have really learned the attitude and mentality of an engineer, that is, we will grasp the nettle under any unsatisfactory circumstances. I also believe the friendships we gained under this situation will be able to last a lifetime. All in all, I am grateful for all the opportunities it has offered and all the joy HKUST has ever brought to me.