Sharing of Scholarship Recipients - CHAU Hoi Yee

I am grateful to receive the HKBU Alumni Gratitude Scholarship (AGS) which supports me towards life-long development.

I am a final-year student majoring in accountancy and minoring in psychology. Throughout my university life, I have become more aware of my life goals and values. I realized my curiosity and passion for learning, and hence I studied diligently. However, when compared to other students, I noticed that there was still a discrepancy. My learning progress was hampered since I required extra time and assistance to finish my revision and assignments. I was frustrated because there were still barriers to overcome. Simply having a passion may not be sufficient. Instead, having external assistance can help you get one step closer to your objective. The AGS scholarship did not only acknowledge my ongoing efforts but also offered me financial assistance to maintain a stable study condition during the fifth wave of pandemics. Therefore, this scholarship was immensely helpful to me in completing my final year of study. As a result, I obtained my highest semester GPA of 3.8 last semester, academic honours in consecutive three academic years, and the HKSAR Government Endeavour Merit Award 2021.

In addition, I started minoring in psychology with the intention of healing and transforming myself and others. I can understand human motivations and the underlying mechanisms. Hence, I enrolled in a social enterprise innovation course and incorporated art therapy into business intelligence to address Hong Kong's mental health issues. I ultimately achieved second runner-up in the SIE fund competition. Although I wish to keep accumulating hands-on experience, I encountered financial constraints. Thus, this AGS scholarship provided me with opportunities to broaden my horizons and prepare for my career. Therefore, I could complete a positive coaching certification program organized by HKBU Leadership Qualities Centre for self-growth mentorship. The experiences and knowledge I gained also enabled me to receive HKBU Outstanding Student Leaders this year. As a result, SEN students are also capable of becoming leaders and have tremendous potential.

Apart from academic activities, I became more active in art and dancing performances. As Sigmund Freud says, "Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strengths". It is the imperfections that lead me to be a resilient self. I experimented with art-making, which I had never attempted or considered before. I established an art therapy exhibition on campus and illuminated my personal-growth journey from "initial passion,” " overwhelming,” "loose," to "metamorphosis". My vulnerabilities transform me into a more "complete" person. The AGS scholarship also allowed me to further develop my interests and unleash my potential. Accordingly, I completed an expressive art therapy application workshop and have been volunteering with the organization since then. I have also collaborated with them to create a social media platform for emotional release recently. I could share my enthusiasm with the wider public and spread positivity to our society. Furthermore, the AGS scholarship helped me to step beyond my comfort zone. I started learning dancing and discovered a new side of myself. I realised that I could be charismatic and confident, which does not make me weak or inferior to other individuals. I also advanced to the final stage of the HKBU Talent Contest in March and will be performing an aerial dance showcase this summer. I hope to be an inspiring dancer who can continue to share my journey and help others improve their life. As a result, the functional difficulty I have becomes my strength, which is only achievable with the AGS scholarship.

In conclusion, I was able to achieve my potential and fly further because of the AGS scholarship. I have also gained more confidence to overcome difficulties and crises. My enthusiasm will not fade after graduation. Instead, I will have more resources and abilities to become an inspiring alumnus who contributes to the university and society.

Back to AGS