Eight HKU students have been awarded Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Scholarships this year for their academic excellence and contributions to the community.
Tam Ka-Ki (BBMS, Year 1) is a recipient of Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarships for Disabled Students. The road of growth of Ka-Ki is a difficult one. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, autism, hyperactive and dyslexia, Ka-Ki’s difficulties with social interactions have made him a victim of bullying. But with a determination to turn his life around, Ka-Ki finally broke through the darkness and found his way out.
“Successful people are both smart and hardworking. You are not particularly smart, so you have to work even harder to keep it up.” Inspired by words of a family member, Ka-Ki studied for more than 10 hours a day. To him, study is not a grind as he enjoys the learning process. His hard work finally paid off when he was admitted to the HKU School of Biomedical Sciences last year.
Ka-Ki’s mother has taken him to do voluntary service, serving fellow autistic patients, since he was in primary school. “Seeing them is like seeing myself in the past. If I can understand them, I can understand about myself more.” This experience also inspired him to pursue a career in research so he can work on developing new medications and treatments for patients with autism patients.
The Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund was established in 1987 to commemorate the distinguished contributions of the late Governor, Sir Edward Youde. It is approaching its 30th anniversary. “I am certain that the Fund will remain committed to making sure talented young people will be well prepared to tackle the exciting challenges ahead and to make a significant contribution to the development of Hong Kong,” said Lady Youde, Honorary Patron of Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund.
April 2016
