Volunteering benefits both student and community. Yet few are so aware of its potential impact as BSc Quantitative Finance year two student Kelvin Tsui, who began community service in the Scouts and has never looked back, joining HKUST’s volunteering societies and completing an internship with social enterprise Teach 4 Hong Kong. Kelvin was recently awarded the Roy To Community Service Award, set up in memory of HKUST alumnus Roy To who passed away on a service trip to Inner Mongolia, in recognition of his contributions to community service.
How have you been involved in community service at HKUST?
Kelvin: When I started at HKUST, I joined the University YMCA-HKUST program coordinated by HKUST Connect. I also represent HKUST in the Alliance of University and College YMCAs where we organize joint servicing. Being part of the Alliance means a lot to me because I am not only making an impact in the HKUST community, but I can have some impact on students in other universities as well. I will also represent the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong in the next UN Youth Forum. If I can not only serve the HKUST community, but serve other universities in Hong Kong and even worldwide, then I can help the most people and that is how I can have the biggest impact.
How do you strike a balance between volunteering and your academic work?
Kelvin: Time management is hard. We all have limited time; we just have to use it effectively. For me, I try to abandon things that are not meaningful, such as playing computer games or watching YouTube. I was actually part of the Hong Kong Fencing Team and although I liked fencing, being a professional athlete is very time consuming. I trained at the Hong Kong Sports Institute and training hours matter, even as a junior athlete. I felt I could put my time into something that can make a greater impact.
Why did you apply for the Roy To Community Service Award?
Kelvin: Firstly, there is a cash award. My family is not well off and I often actively search for scholarships as well as doing part-time work, both as a fencing coach and a tutor. But it was also to help me further develop in volunteering. My role as External Vice President of the University YMCA has ended, and I have just one more year in the Alliance, after which I want to continue my service at a higher level. I plan to join the Change Agent program of the World Alliance of YMCAs, and as it is on a selection basis, I thought the Roy To Community Service Award could give me some recognition and help me go further.
What is your plan for the future?
Kelvin: I would like to help the most people in society. I wanted to join the HKSAR government as an Administrative Officer to do policy formulation, because government policy affects everyone in society. I felt that if I could help the government implement better policies, I could help all Hong Kong people. It had been my plan since secondary school. Now I am also looking into other ways that I can help society. As a Quantitative Finance student, can I help the Hong Kong financial industry improve? Hong Kong is an international finance hub, so if its financial industry can develop better that will help the whole of Hong Kong. I’m now considering a career in fintech, but I’m not sure which way I should go. I will be joining the government’s internship program this summer, but I am also applying for an IT scholarship to develop myself in the area of fintech.
Find out more about
University YMCA – HKUST
