- Hear Our Stories -
Rachel Wong (Grade 12, West Island School) cited her program experience in her college applications, and has been accepted into HKUST’s prestigious Global Business Program! Rachel was also offered an internship with Dialogue in Silence after the program concluded.
Here's an excerpt from her application essay:
My internship at the social enterprise, Dialogue in Silence, confirmed my desire to be immersed in the world of business. I had the opportunity to observe how firms operate, write business emails and attend sales meetings. My public speaking abilities were developed through delivering a professional presentation on behalf of the firm to their corporate clients. Striving to achieve excellence in the tasks I was assigned, pushed me to think innovatively, and resulted in my final project being implemented in the firm’s business and educational products. Similarly, my participation in a Youth Leadership Program enabled me to engage in an NGO group project, where I gained practical skills in research and ascertained the importance of teamwork. The program also provided me with the opportunity to experience different challenges facing today’s business leaders. Through simulations and exploring case studies, I became more intrigued by the complexities of the business world.
Jacob Shapero (Year 9, Chinese International School) will have his article published in Student Leaders magazine, after we introduced him to the editor!
Here's an excerpt from Jacob’s article on leadership:
Until recently, I had not realised leadership was a skill I could learn. Then last summer, I enrolled in the Young Leaders of Tomorrow summer leadership program organized by LEAP Studio (now called The Open Classroom). We spent much of our time doing case studies, and looking at situations where a leader can make a difference. We honed skills such as public speaking and analysis. I took all these into the real world when my team and I took on the responsibility of supporting the Hong Kong social enterprise, Diamond Cab. Diamond Cab provides essential taxi services for the handicapped. Our stretch project was to brainstorm and come up with new concepts to expand their range of services, to reach more people in need and ultimately boost revenue.
My relatively few experiences as a leader have taught me much. Firstly a balance in attitude is crucial: You can’t be too hard or too soft; not unbending but not willing to submit easily. Secondly be open to suggestions and take heed of the ideas of all team-members, as nobody is perfect and they may notice things you have missed. And finally, don’t be afraid to take the blame when blame is due, if something is your fault don’t try to avoid it by delegating and making up excuses.
