Fond Memories of My School
As an alumnus of Wong Shiu Chi, I am honoured to write this article to share my experience at WSC with current students, faculty members, alumni and associates. Without doubt, WSC laid a strong foundation for my future career path. Through the education I received at WSC, I developed attributes and skill-sets that have helped me excel in my career endeavours. These include a good work ethic, a strong foundation in Science, proficiency in English, and sound leadership skills. Having received my post-WSC education in some of the world's most prestigious institutions (Cambridge, Harvard, and Wharton), I can say with confidence, that WSC is one top-notch school, not only according to Hong Kong standards but also worldwide.
Work Ethic
The single most important attribute I developed at WSC was my work ethic. I consider myself an intelligent person, but I am by no means a genius. In fact, whilst at WSC some classmates were actually more gifted than I was. I managed to be consistently at the top of my class primarily because of hard work and dedication.
If you are a current Science student and scared of ‘A-Math' Calculus, Physics, chemical transformations, equations, derivations and theorems, be assured that you are not the only one, and I was just like you. Any new concept you come across will seem abstract, even dreadful. Don't give up! It is important to be patient and to study the material over and over again until the material ‘clicks'. Once you understand it, you will realize that it is not really that difficult after all. Being able to master a difficult subject presents great satisfaction. The ‘secret' to doing well in exams is really not a secret at all. One just needs to practise, practise, and practise.
If you ever have trouble with any subject, do not hesitate to talk to your teachers. WSC is known for its open door policy. I recall that all of my teachers were very accessible whenever I needed help. This open door policy fostered a really great learning atmosphere.
Hong Kong probably had quite a handful of geniuses, but I was certainly not one of them. With hard work and dedication, however, I knew that I would overcome any deficiencies. Thanks to this work ethic that I developed , I managed to continually do well also at Cambridge and Harvard Universities.
Strong Foundation in Science
I studied Science at WSC. WSC's education was truly outstanding. With it, I was prepared for all the challenges to come at Cambridge and Harvard. Always, all of my teachers at WSC were well prepared for classes and showed great commitment to their students. I would like to use this opportunity to give recognition to some of the great teachers. Mr. J. L. Lau of Math was ever so dedicated to his teaching, very detail-oriented, and his lessons were always well thought out. Another spectacular Math teacher was Mr. Y. L. Au. Mr. Tsu of Physics always blended great humour into his teaching, making the very difficult subject Physics more interesting and enjoyable. Mr. C. N. Ho, who taught my O-Level Biology, was a very caring teacher and went to great lengths to get to know his students. These awesome teachers helped me build a great foundation for my scientific pursuits. In fact, whilst at Cambridge, I occasionally found myself better prepared and more knowledgeable than some of my peers.
Proficiency in English
Outside of Science, at WSC I also acquired proficiency in English language. Many of the classes were conducted in English, offering students plenty of opportunities to learn, speak and use English. One of the great English teachers I had was Mr. Churk; I learned a great deal about English grammar from him. Without doubt, the great language skills I acquired at WSC certainly helped me to adapt more easily to the overseas environment I later entered into.
Leadership Skills
At WSC, I had the honour of taking on a number of leadership roles. I was Class Monitor and Chairman of the Students' Association. These positions offered me great opportunities to develop and hone my leadership skills. I would strongly encourage current students to be active in WSC's extra-curricular activities, clubs and whenever possible, to take on leadership roles as well. The responsibility of leading an activity and working with other students in a team environment will help you stand out as leaders in your future careers.
Final words
In closing, I would like to encourage current students to cherish every single day of learning with your classmates and teachers at WSC. Long after you leave, you will remember the few years at WSC as some of the best years you have ever had and will forever shape your future self. WSC has a lot to offer to any student. If you have the will to learn and grow, WSC will offer you plenty of nurturing and plenty of opportunities to learn and to grow. If you have the drive to succeed, WSC will help you succeed just as it once helped me. I feel very blessed that I received such a great education at WSC, and I am very proud to have been a part of the school. I wish everyone at WSC a happy 50th anniversary.
Journey After Wong Shiu Chi
With great pleasure, I am writing this article to share some of my academic and professional experience with the current students of Wong Shiu Chi Middle School* (WSC). I was very fortunate to have the opportunities to attend some of the world's most prestigious institutions, namely Cambridge University for my Bachelor's degree, Harvard University for my doctorate degree, and the Wharton School for my M.B.A. My academic journey was long and hard, yet very rewarding. By continually pushing myself, I learned that with hard work and perseverance, I could achieve many of my goals.
Overcoming Difficulties and Proving Critics Wrong
It is unusual for a student to be interested in, and to have a talent for, every subject. It is, however, possible for the student to do well even in a subject for which he or she does not have a natural talent. When I was a student, I found certain subjects relatively easy and other subjects extremely difficult. Yet, with hard work and a strong will to succeed, I did manage to do well in many subjects, including those in which I was not expected to excel.
I was studying natural sciences at Cambridge University, and of the three years at Cambridge, the first year was particularly difficult. I had to deal with not only a new culture, but also a heavy study load and an unfamiliar subject - geology. During my first year at Cambridge, I took chemistry, math, physics, and geology. My strengths were in chemistry and math, and I was coping reasonably well with physics. Geology, however, was incredibly difficult for me. I was struggling with this subject throughout the whole year, and frequently found myself inferior to my classmates. They could answer questions easily in the classroom while I was often puzzled. At the end of each term at Cambridge, and before the final exam, the assigned tutor of each student wrote down his or her evaluation of the student. My tutor, who was a world-renowned geologist and our class professor, was very harsh on me, commenting that I had no future in geology. He predicted that I would get a Third Class grade, the worst grade that any student could get. Even though I had no desire to pursue geology further, I was determined that I would prove this professor wrong. I studied as hard as I could. During the course, I built good relationships with many of the class instructors and frequently sought help from them. Slowly but surely, I started to understand the various subject matters. By the time the final exam came, I knew that I had put in my best effort to understand geology. I took the exam with determination and was proud that I did not give up. Even if I did end up with a Third Class grade as the professor had predicted, I would still hold my head high. Later on in the summer, I learned that I had earned a First Class grade in geology, along with First Class grades in the other subjects. The “First” in geology was a big surprise to me and was probably an even bigger surprise to my professor. Along with the instructors from whom I sought help, I was very happy that I had proven this professor wrong. After the geology course was over, I never saw the professor again as I started my focus on chemistry. Throughout my career, I have always let my performance speak for itself. This little triumph over a difficult subject taught me that no matter how tough the obstacles might seem, one should never give up without trying hard. The satisfaction comes when one tries the hardest and then proves the critics and naysayers wrong.
Pushing Myself to My Limits
While the undergraduate education at Cambridge was tough, the Ph.D. curriculum at Harvard was worse! The Harvard chemistry department was the most competitive and intimidating environment I had ever experienced. The building was full of pictures of former Nobel Prize winners. One could notice cut-throat competition among students and even among professors. To date, many students have dropped out in the middle of their graduate work as a result of this intimidating, competitive environment.
The first year at Harvard was particularly difficult for me. The class consisted of about fifty students who were the top graduates from various universities. Most of the students were Americans from different parts of the country while some, including myself, came from the rest of the world. Competition among classmates was very stiff, and each student tried to stand out. My training at Cambridge was focused on coursework with little emphasis on research and lab work. Most of my American classmates, on the other hand, already had significant research experience during their undergraduate work. I found myself behind all of my classmates in lab performance.
Perseverance and self-belief, once again, helped me survive the grueling years at Harvard. When most had gone home for the day, I continued to work in the lab till very late at night. When the lab was nearly empty during the weekends, I worked through those weekends. There was no mentor in the lab to teach me the lab basics, so I had to teach myself many lab survival skills. Most of the time, I learned from trial and error. I can recall that I made some bad mistakes along the way and set a couple of fires in the lab. To me, the best lessons were from all those mistakes I had made. As a result of continual efforts to get better and to avoid making the same mistakes, I started to gain proficiency in the lab and in conducting experiments. I started to make great progress toward my research and, in the end, managed to earn my Ph.D. sooner than many of my classmates. Those few years at Harvard were the times when I really had to push myself to my limits, constantly reminding myself to keep the faith. Mentally, I had to stay positive all the time to overcome any self-doubt that crept in from time to time. When experiments did not work the way I had anticipated, I had to push myself even harder to come up with alternatives to solve problems. Every graduate student had to go through these trying times. Giving in to self-doubt would lead one to give up and drop out of the program. If one dug deep, reanalyzed the problems, and used creativity to design solutions to solve the problems, successes and great science would happen. Overcoming these trying times to solve tough problems has allowed me and my classmates at Harvard to grow and to become good scientists.
Reaping the Fruit
For a period of seven years after graduation from Harvard, I performed pharmaceutical research at Merck. After the arduous time at Harvard, working at Merck was really like a walk in the park. I had a much higher salary and was faced with significantly less pressure at Merck than at Harvard. I was given a very tough project in my first year at Merck, and nobody believed that I would be able to complete this project alone within the time given. Thanks to the training at Harvard, however, I knew that the work at Merck, though difficult, would not be impossible. Again, I pushed myself by coming up with innovative chemistry methods to solve problems. I managed to surprise many critics again and completed the tough project alone and quickly, resulting in a number of publications in world-class journals. The hard work from my Harvard days definitely paid off. The training I received at Harvard has enabled me to tackle many more challenging chemistry problems later on in my career.
Getting Out Of My Comfort Zone
After performing several years of research and ascending the corporate ladder at Merck, I was at a crossroad in my career, trying to decide whether to stay at Merck or to branch out and do something different. I chose the latter primarily because I liked to constantly challenge myself. I decided to pursue an M.B.A. degree at the Wharton School of Business. Stepping out of my comfort zone, namely chemistry, and going into the unfamiliar business world was frightening at first. After going through such a grueling program at Harvard, however, nothing seemed impossible. The initial transition from chemistry into business was indeed rather difficult. As I lacked business and finance experience, I could not speak the business language that many of my classmates at Wharton spoke. I knew that with hard work and dedication, I would once again be able to overcome many hurdles. Indeed, I did well in many of the exams at Wharton. The business degree I earned at Wharton also opened many new doors and created new job opportunities for me. In hindsight, I do believe that I made the right decision to step out of my comfort zone and enter into entrepreneurial and business areas. Without taking this risk of getting out of my comfort zone, I would never have had the career opportunities that I had.
Closing Thoughts
Throughout my career, I have proven repeatedly that with determination, hard work, dedication, and perseverance, I have been able to make great accomplishments despite many obstacles along the way. I have shown that, while friends and foes might have played a part in sculpting my path, it was me who ultimately controlled my own destiny. I could have chosen to give up in many instances and taken the easy way out, but I did not. I embraced each challenge with a strong will to conquer and succeed.
I encourage you, the current students of WSC, to make good use of your opportunities to master all the subjects that you are studying. Naturally, some subjects may seem easy and some others may not. When faced with difficulties, remember to never give up without giving your best effort! Being able to persevere and putting in hard work to conquer these difficulties will often differentiate the great performers from the average ones and the students who will get A's from those who will not. You control your own destiny. Choose to be great and set your sight on the A's, as I always did, even in the subjects that appear to be difficult! Work the hardest you can to earn those A's!
Step outside of your comfort zone and do not limit yourself to study only the subjects in which you are interested! Later on in your life, you will realize that more opportunities will come your way when your knowledge is not limited to one field. Do not be afraid of making mistakes along the way! I have made many mistakes throughout my career. The key is to learn from these mistakes and not to repeat them.
I was once a country boy who grew up in a working class family in Sheung Shui and attended Wong Shiu Chi Middle School. Thanks to WSC and all of my former teachers, I developed a solid foundation of knowledge, a good work ethic, and a strong will to succeed when I was young. I have come a long way since my WSC days. Now is the perfect time for you, all current students, to develop this work ethic and this drive to succeed. I am living proof that one can go as far as one has the will to go. If you have the will and the drive to succeed, if you are ready to put in long hours and hard work to achieve your goals, and if you are prepared to make a lot of sacrifices, you too can go very far and realize your dreams and goals.
* “Wong Shiu Chi Middle School” was renamed to “Wong Shiu Chi Secondary School” in 1986.