FYS Seminar: Make an Impact by Caring and Serving

Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time. 
- Marian Wright Edelman

Education is not just about acquiring knowledge and preparing for a career, it is also about engaging the world in a meaningful way. As a young global citizen, one cannot truly grow and blossom without acknowledging the needs of his/her community. We were privileged to have Ms. Olivia Wong and Mr. Erwin Huang share their service experience with us and discuss how they continue to serve, even when they are leaders in their professions.

Olivia Wong is the General Manager, of Leadership Development at John Swire & Sons (HK) Ltd. She shared her voluntary building experience with Habitat for Humanity, where she learned about the meaning of volunteering. With the support from her company, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity later became part of her life and when she continued to volunteer in it, she made an impact by influencing others and getting more and more people involved. She urged audiences to act like her, to volunteer even when they are old, even if they feel like they cannot contribute much anymore.

Erwin Huang is the former CEO of a listed company, a graduate of Boston University, and currently a serial entrepreneur and leader in social enterprise eLearning. He shared his experience during the RTHK TV program "Rich Mate, Poor Mate" which changed his mind and career. He further elaborated on his journey to founding the current social enterprise, and the need he is addressing, which is to bridge the digital divide for the underprivileged in Hong Kong. He urged everyone to use their knowledge, skills, and heart to influence others, and make an impact on society.

Over 160 students and staff who attended the seminar discovered that serving and leading are two sides of the same coin – and in fact, future leaders need to learn to serve first.