Two engineering students were recently honored with two different HKUST Community Service Awards for their outstanding and proven effort in helping others and in different context in the community, locally or abroad.

Hong Yee Kow, undergraduate student (Year 3) from Civil and Environmental Engineering, received the Roy To Community Service Award, which aims to recognize HKUST students with exceptional contribution to community service. Only one undergraduate or postgraduate student is selected for the award each year.

Samantha Wing Man Kong, undergraduate student (Year 2) from Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, received the HKUST Alumni Endowment Fund Service Award, which honors students who have demonstrated strong commitment and leadership in volunteer services and contributed to the community with proven track records. The award is launched in 2012-2013 and Samantha is one of the three students who are the first batch of awardees.

The students reflected on their insightful community service experience and the difference they have made to the people around them:
 

Hong Yee Kow (Year 3, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
International student from Malaysia
Roy To Community Service Awardee

1) What did you do to get this award?

To be frank, I did not do much. I just love what I am doing, especially my passion in helping people and seeing people learn and grow. Or perhaps, it’s because of my service trip in Myanmar that I initiated during last summer. Also, I enjoy serving people around me. I have been serving as the Peer Mentor in School of Engineering for around 2 years, helping new students in academic-related matters and adaptation to university life. I have also founded the Student Chapter for Malaysian Association of Hong Kong, which is a platform to connect and unite Malaysian students studying in Hong Kong, hence enriching their university life during their university study. Due to my enthusiasm to serve people and design platforms for people to discover their passion, I partner with my friends to found a community-based organization known as Y-Talk.org <www.ytalk.org>. We successfully organized the first Y-Talk in HKUST, by which it was the first time that students could be the speakers to share their passion to fellow students.

Recently, I also join the ASEAN Voluntary Network and Engineers Without Borders to further expand my vision to help people in Third World countries.

2) Why you wanted to do it?

When I was first trying to do that [referring to the service trip in Myanmar], I didn’t know why I wanted to do that. Or I should say my focus was not originally on voluntary service, but it was purely on backpacking and travelling. What I knew was that I wanted to try what a lot of people have been doing. I wanted to leave Hong Kong for a certain period to find myself who has been lost for several years. Yet, I wanted to discover my life passion. I chose to design the project myself because I enjoyed being a designer. I enjoyed using what I have learned to design something that I enjoyed, instead of following what people have done for me. Simply because that didn’t make me enjoy! I realized that I wanted to try the experience of living with the Burmese people at their home, so, I decided to change the plan to volunteering rather than traveling. Because I believe that the experience will definitely be different!

3) What was the experience?

It was a 1-month English teaching voluntary experience in Myitkyina, a small city in Northern Myanmar. Traveling to Myitkyina was quite challenging, as we need to travel from Southern Myanmar to Northern Myanmar. This trip took us 10 hours of bus-ride and around 24 hours of train-ride. (The train was designed in around 1920s! There is no air-con, just simple light and fans.) Our main role in the service was to teach English at the TOEFL school. We have got 13 students, including university students, university graduates and secondary school students. Unlike other community service available in HKUST, we design this project. We need to find our sponsorship, books donation and any possible donations too.

I am a very adventurous person. Knowing that there is civil war, I asked my students to bring me to visit the refugee camps. That’s not for fun of course! We visited two camps. We talked to the refugees when we were there. I gave a speech at the camps to encourage them to be positive, and told them that although they are now refugees, the people around the world will be supporting them spiritually. We are here with them and accompany them in this harsh moment.

4) What was the reflection? What did you learn from the experience?

I learned that engineering is extremely amazing! Before the trip, I thought that engineering is only restricted to technical perspective. I was wondering what I can do as an engineer when I was first visiting them. Because, it’s interesting! How could a civil engineering student went there and did something on education?! Yet, I realize that although I am a civil engineering student, I see engineering more universally, that we all have the similarities. Yet, it is the engineering mentality. I remembered that when I started to teach, the first thing I was thinking was to understand their problems, then I could quickly design a methodology to assist their learning experience. Particularly, engineering students love to think in system level approach. We learn by doing through constant testing. Also, we love precision, problem-solving and finding solutions!

5) Any changes took place on you after the community service?

I see things differently! Community service is always “well” defined as “activities and services pursued with the purpose of having people volunteer their time and energy to help others, either one time or ongoing activities”. It’s pretty well-defined in our community. However, I redefined how I view community service. As for me, community service has no boundary, or I should use another phrase to express – “Service Without Boundary”.

There is no restriction that community service is only restricted for certain projects and period. No matter where I go, I can still serve the community (no matter how big or small the contribution will be). Even if I go for traveling, I can visit the people at those regions and serve them! Yet, every day of my life is a community service. Whenever I have meals with friends, meet up with friends, and work with friends, these are already community service, because I am serving my friends too! However, my role is to inspire my friends, so that they can make their own decision and live with their passion!

Also, I realize that I am not that great to be frank, because at the same time when I am doing something that I think is "great", a lot of people from the other parts of the world are simultaneously doing something great too! Therefore, I feel happy that we are just working together and supporting each other. Relying on me cannot make difference to the community, because the community doesn't belong to me, but everyone!

6) Any other ideas you want to share with the readers/fellow engineering students?

Yes! Indeed, there are a lot of ideas that I want to share with the readers and fellow engineering students! But ONE thing that I wish to share will be: Discover Your Passion, Live with Passion and Believe in your Belief! Frankly speaking, university life is really amazing and fantastic! I am not academically excellent compared to a lot of people. But, I enjoy learning, I love trying and be positive! I understand that everyone is created with their values. University is a place that is universal and diversified. It offers us tremendous platforms to discover what we love to do and what we are passionate about. When you are doing something that you are passionate about, you will be enjoying them a lot without any complaints. You will definitely not going to give up. Life is short and unpredictable honestly. In the past 4 semesters, I have relatives passing away each semester, no matter whether they were healthy or not. So, I learned that I need to be myself every day, try to do and achieve what I would like to do when I am still able to stay alive. Lastly, believe in what you belief in! Of course, not to stay offend to people’s ideas, but learn and reflect from what they told you, because that helps you to strengthen your beliefs, not to challenge you to drop your belief.
 

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Samantha Wing Man Kong (Year 2, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

Local student
HKUST Alumni Endowment Fund Service Awardee

1. What did you do to get this award?

Having been serving the community as a pianist since I was ten, I began bringing people together with joy and happiness through music. That’s all I could do with my talents at that age.

During my year of high-school study in Malaysia, I did volunteer services with other international students, donated wheelchairs to the Old Folks Home to help the elderly. I am always hoping to get more involved in the community. School is part of the community, which is the best learning platform to understand the needs of people around us.

After being admitted into HKUST, I started taking up leadership roles, currently the Head Student Ambassador of HKUST and Core Peer Mentor of School of Engineering. I share my experiences with the prospective and current students, allowing them to understand more about different majors and guide them to realize their roles in the community. Traveling to different countries for short exchanges allowed me to gain exposure and serve globally, which have broadened my horizons in realizing the cultures and values in different countries. This inspired me to work with friends on innovative idea and made us join the Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge, coming up with an idea of helping the elderly due to the aging population in HK. Our enthusiasm towards encouraging philanthropy through Elderly Simulation Program marked the start of our social enterprise – Eldpathy, (empathy for elderly), initiated by three HKUST students (me and my Business School teammates) and a faculty advisor with all of us from diverse backgrounds, who are keen and passionate in serving the community together with the next generation.

Eldpathy website: www.eldpathy.hk

2. Why you wanted to do it?

I wanted to apply my learnt knowledge and transform into actions. As a university student, having the ability to analyze problems and apply knowledge critically in different aspects, I decided to contribute more not only to the school but also to the community. Passion is my motivation in serving the community and meeting people from all walks of life. Moreover, participation in voluntary services would allow one to find their direction of pursuing their dreams with the guidance and support of their friends and family.

3. What was the experience?

Apart from serving the school, as part of the community, I serve tourists and HK citizens as the HK Young Ambassador since two years ago [The Hong Kong Young Ambassador Scheme is jointly organized by the Tourism Commission and The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group.]. It enhances my sense of belonging and understanding of the diversified culture of HK. For instance, stationing at different scenic spots in HK, working as a volunteer at different HK events (Rugby Sevens, Chinese New Year Parade, HK Dragon Boat Festival, etc.) allow me to foster hospitality and broaden my horizons.

Visiting the children in Hangzhou was one of the highlights and the most unforgettable voluntary service experience that I have had. Simple things like a warm hug or a smile already brightened up their day. I can never forget the blissful smiles on their faces. All we need is to show our love and care to them.

4. What was the reflection? What did you learn from the experience?

Throughout the years of serving the community, I realized much of it is about passion. I really enjoy exchanging ideas and interacting with new people at different occasions who share the same vision of serving the community. Long-lasting friendship can be developed in such a way that people share the same goal and insight that one would like to improve lives of the next generation. I learnt to be more open-minded and listen to other’s opinions as one would never succeed without joint effort and synergy as a team.

5. Any changes took place on you after the community service?

I was educated in a local girls’ school since primary, to be frank girls’ school students are pretty conservative. I was not as active as I am back in the old days. The turning point began when I studied abroad three years ago, learning to be independent and getting involved in various services in order to meet new friends and get adapted to the cultures of a country. This enhanced my communication skills and learnt how to interact with people. I started to become a more outgoing and cheerful person, becoming curious in understanding the cultures of different countries, which I have been traveling around the world these years for short exchanges on entrepreneurship, leadership, voluntary services in the US, Singapore, Hangzhou, Beijing and Russia soon. Not only local issues that I am interested in, taking part in the G20 Youth Summit in Russia this month is a platform for me to discuss world issues with people around the world, voicing out my opinions and concerns.

6. Any other ideas you want to share with the readers/fellow engineering students?

Indeed, university is a multi-cultural arena where we all learn from one another. It is the springboard to lots of opportunities and the best moment of trying anything you want with your buddies. Follow your heart and listen to your inner self. Be humble to learn and take whatever opportunities offered in order to make your university life a more colourful and remarkable one.