Mr. Wong Chun-shek, Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Business

   (School of Accounting & Finance, graduate of St. Paul’s College)

Miss Yu Nga-wing, Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Communication

   (Faculty of Communication, graduate of St. Catharine’s School for Girls, Kwun Tong)

Miss Ma Yuen-tung, Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Construction & Land Use

   (Department of Building & Real Estate, graduate of  Christian Alliance SC Chan Memorial College)

  Mr. Yuan Hang, Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Engineering

(Department of Electronic & Information Engineering, graduate of Suzhou High School)

  Miss Ku Siu-ting, Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences

(Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, graduate of Capilano College in Canada)

As a non-local student from the Chinese Mainland, I take great pride in receiving the award of the Most Outstanding PolyU Student 2007.

My journey in Hong Kong started more than three years ago. After joining the Engineering Physics programme, I began my investigation of the world from the perspective of a science student. My hard work and the generous assistance of my professors and lecturers granted me excellent academic performance. (If you ask for a shortcut of obtaining high GPA, here is the tip --- attending every class. Above all, I believe the essence of learning lies in the keyword ‘understanding’. If you have a vivid picture of interrelated ideas in your mind, congratulations, you have done a great job!)

The study of physics furthered my insight and interest of the evolving science, and inspired me to delve deeper down into the unexplored sea of knowledge as a researcher in the future.

The years in Hong Kong are my treasures not merely in the sense of my academic achievements. Life away from home in an international metropolis, impact of the multi-cultural context and communications with people from all walks of life, such challenges have taught me valuable lessons of how to become independent, be open-minded, look wide and keep smiling in adversity.

Challenges are always accompanied by opportunities. Amongst them, the exchange programme to the North Carolina State University, for which I felt really lucky to be given the chance among the pool of candidates, is a piece of unforgettable and life-enriching experience. I enjoyed listening to professors’ absorbing speeches as much as being friends with so many nice people, polishing my English via pointless chats and traveling with my pals from south to north by car.

All these dribs and drabs are pieced together then turn into such a beautiful picture that I could not have imagined before joining The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 

Before closing, I’d like to give my thankfulness to the University, without her kind financial support I would never have the chance taking my undergraduate study here, let alone writing this article. My sincere gratefulness also goes to the faculty members of the Department of Applied Physics as well as all the academics from other departments for their excellent teaching and patient assistance. For the staffs of AECO and SAO, your efforts, which have made my campus life colourful, are truly appreciated as well. And for my friends and classmates, I want to say, you are the best!  

A few more words for my juniors from the Chinese Mainland: Please do not think this award is for people other than you. Just a little determination to read one more chapter during weekends or to finish one more assignment tonight can make you stand here one day. If I can make it, you can make it. Have faith!

PolyU is your stage.

Open yourself up.

It is my honor to be selected as the Outstanding Student of Faculty of Business. The award is a tangible recognition of my efforts and encouragement to pursue my future career in the profession of accounting and finance.  

Time flies, I am now having my last semester at PolyU. Looking back, I studied in science stream during my secondary education and was concerned about shifting my field of study from science to business. However, I read a book about Winston Churchill three years ago, I will never forget his powerful speeches and here comes the quotation which has greatly affected me, “If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. If I don’t practice for two days, my wife knows it. If I don’t practice for three days, the world knows it.” Hard work, determination, perseverance, learning from mistakes, coupled with invaluable learning experiences and assistance provided by teachers, have made me a quick adaptation and satisfactory performance in my studies.

I have been given a number of chances to take up the role of Master of Ceremony in various occasions like PolyU Education Info Day, Professional Mentorship Programme

 Opening Ceremony, Accounting & Finance Society’s Inauguration Ceremony, as well as speaker in outbound secondary school visit during the past few years. The experiences are interesting, which also shape me into a person that feels comfortable and confident in giving out public speeches.  

Back to the University, I took part in the QP Case Analysis Competition 2007 organized by HKICPA. In fact, it is my second time to join this competition. I have improved and learnt a lot from the entire process, for instance, time and pressure management, analytical and critical thinking skill, as well as presentation skill. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my teammates and advisors once again for giving me this wonderful and memorable experience.

After almost three years of study at PolyU, I have become more mature and start having some deep thoughts about life. 

Life is full of challenges; we may experience both happiness and sadness from time to time, and frankly, I have experienced failures before. Sometimes, it depends on how we perceive failure and how we can turn it into a valuable experience for the future. As Henry Ford says, “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” Be optimistic, and live happily!

PolyU has equipped me with solid knowledge and essential skills, I confidently believe that I am now ready for all the new challenges; and I am prepared to contribute to the society in the near future. At the same time, I will continue with my involvement in the ‘Doctors without Borders’ and other voluntary bodies, so as to build a better and peaceful world for the good of mankind.

Finally, I would like to take this great opportunity to give my heartfelt thanks to all the teaching staff, both at St. Paul’s College and the School of Accounting & Finance, especially my Faculty Dean Professor Judy Tsui, Head of School Professor Gul, Associate Head Dr. Shimin Chen, my programme leader Dr. Bosco Yu, and Dr. Susana Yuen for their hard work, invaluable learning experiences provided and unlimited care for me. I also thank all my friends and classmates for their support. All of you have been playing a vital role in my studies as well as my life. One thing I will never forget is the dedication of my parents and sister, their love and care for me. They have been with me through peaks and troughs. They form an integral part of my life. Thank you.

Because of the daunting A-level examination result, I once lost my confidence and felt hopeless. However, as the idiom ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ goes, the associate degree programme in Translation and Interpretation has led me to a new path.

Time flies; here comes to the final semester of my university studies. In retrospect, what I have achieved over the past few years are far beyond my expectation, including being selected as the outstanding student of my faculty. It is definitely an unexpected yet precious present to me as not only does it recognize the effort I have paid, but also motivates me to exert myself to perform even better in the future, no matter in my own career or in contributing to society.

My placement in Hangzhou and exchange programme in Shanghai were edifying experiences which have inspired me a lot. Undoubtedly, my horizon has been broadened by communicating with people from different provinces (and even countries). I was deeply impressed by the locals and I have understood more about the Chinese culture too; I believe it is not what I can obtain from usual lessons. What’s more, I have become more mature and independent as I had to adapt to a new environment and I have learnt to compromise with others when there are conflicts.

I cannot miss to thank my buddies whom I met in different programmes or societies like Social Service Group, PGDP and student exchange programme; I did learn a lot from all of you.

Finally, I have to thank my fellow LSP classmates; I am proud of being a member of our class. I truly believe university life is not made up of the figures and alphabetic letters listed on the transcript; it’s all of you who have lit up my university life. I am nothing without you guys. Thank you very much!

It is my great honour to be selected as the Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Construction and Land Use. I am sure the meaning of this award is not about the certificate or money; it is in fact the affirmation and recognition of my efforts and potential. This in turn will become my motivation and determination to perform better, like the motto in my secondary school, "Do the best and strive for success!".

Studying in PolyU is full of fruitful memories, especially the friendship with my schoolmates. They always lend me a helping hand selflessly whenever I encounter difficulties. The moments we share laughter and tears will last forever in my heart.

PolyU really offers lots of opportunities to groom students to be all-round individuals and we have to grasp these chances by ourselves.

I have been awarded several scholarships during my study at PolyU; one of the real challenges was the Sir Edward Youde Scholarship. I had to compete with hundreds of nominees from sister universities in Hong Kong. It was a prime honour to be chosen as one of the recipients of this prestigious award among the talented and competent peers. 

I benefited a lot during my exchange to Loughborough in the United Kingdom. It did not only broaden my horizon, but also strengthened me. I have become more independent and better-equipped with soft-skills like plan-making, problem-solving and interpersonal skills. The life in UK was really colourful but it was such an extreme to that in HK. The cultural difference experienced was absolutely invaluable.

Last but not least, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to our Faculty Dean Ir. Professor Jin and all the staff in the Department of Building and Real Estate, in particular our Head of Department Prof. Francis Wong, Associate Prof. Dr. Y.H. Chiang and Dr. Patrick Fong as well as all the programme leaders, for their guidance, support and care for me.

In addition, I would like to thank all my friends and classmates for their support and patience. You all play an important role in my studies and my life. Finally, I appreciate much the love and devotion of my parents and sister, who have been accompanying me all these years, no matter good times or bad times. Thank you very much!

Four years ago, when I got the chance to study at PolyU, I was very much unprepared. Today, I am about to start a new page of my life again, I still feel uncertain about my future; but with the experiences in the past few years, I am ready to face any challenges.

Just as what my Chinese name implies, my life has been a story of moving around to various places since childhood. However, it was not until I came to Hong Kong did I begin my own journey. A new life in such a distant and unfamiliar city inevitably arose some difficulties and struggles. But I was also much inspired by such barriers and challenges.

My programme is well-rounded with lots of labs and hands-on projects, I feel quite passionate about what I am learning. The field of electronic engineering is board and versatile. Its functionality in addressing a huge array of problems, together with the underlying mathematical beauty, constitutes such a vast spectrum that captivates me. My internship in the electronic R&D department at  St. Jude Medical in Sweden allowed me to further appreciate the power of combining theory into application. I participated in projects dedicated to testing, analyzing and improving the performance of medical devices. Such work has made me more confident in solving practical problems.

It is such a great honor to be selected as the outstanding student of the Faculty of Engineering. I would like to take this chance to thank all the professors who have taught me and helped me. I am also grateful to AECO and SAO staff for tiding me over different issues. Last but not least, I have to thank PolyU to offer me the full scholarship.

It was a tough decision for me to come back to Hong Kong to pursue my second Bachelor degree.  However, after finishing more than two-thirds of the program, I have realized I made the right decision.

 I was still a kinesiologist working in Canada three years ago.  I had learned to like my job as a rehabilitation specialist dealing with injured patients after motor vehicle accidents. But, I had also begun to discover my lack of knowledge towards helping patients to recover from their injuries.  It was then I decided to pursue Physiotherapy.

It was through my childhood judos match that I discovered the field of physiotherapy.  I dislocated my elbow, and it was only because of the loving care of the physiotherapist that helped me through my recovery. 

Thanks to all PolyU staff and teaching associates in the past 2 years, I have never looked back. They have injected a stronger dose of confidence in me that ensured my success in the past two and a half years. Without the strong guidance of the physiotherapy teachers and staff, the mental support of my family and friends, I would have never imagined receiving this Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences Award.  This is a great encouragement for me, and I accept this honor in my greatest pleasure.

I believe in giving back to the community.  Helping patients with my knowledge and skills through education is my main goal after my graduation. In my opinion, this is the ultimate goal of education.  It is through the hard work, patience as well as enthusiasm that we can achieve this goal. Appreciation from patients is an enormous motivation towards improving my skills. I have been fortunate to receive patients’ appreciation during some of my hospital placements.  It is the ultimate reward. It pushes me to learn more and be ready for my next challenge.

I realize that continuing education is essential for any healthcare worker in order to update ourselves for the future. During the last few years, besides volunteering, I have taken a number of various workshops such as the 2^nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Health Promotion in conjunction with 2^nd International Conference on Tai Chi Chuan,  Sport Medicine And Rehabilitation Therapy (SMART) Convention 2007 and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games PT aids voluntary program: Sports Physiotherapy – The world at your feet.    

I would also like to thank HK PolyU for providing me an once-in-a-life time work experience at Curtin University of Perth, Australia. I had gained valuable experiences during the 5 weeks I spent at the university physiotherapy clinic.  Looking back at all my previous work experiences in Canada, Hong Kong and Australia, I have come to the conclusion that cultural influences play a big role in determining treatment approaches.  I would have never known that different cultures have different perspectives to health issues and their health expectations. It was such an honor for me to be selected to participate in this overseas placement.

I have only a few more months before I can be proud to become a physiotherapist.  This is an exciting profession, and I cannot wait to be part of the team. 

Once again, I sincerely thank all the physiotherapy teaching staff, fellow classmates, family and friends, who have enormous patience to answer my endless list of questions throughout my first two-thirds of this program.  Without them, I would not have achieved this award.