Pui Kiu & I   Rafael Lum 11C

I remember being told by my Grade 7 class teacher that a student’s different stages of maturation can only be seen most clearly in no other places but in their secondary school life. I had never really agreed on what he said until after living through the majority of my secondary school days. In general, Pui Kiu has turned me from an immature imbecile to a mature intellect.

Pui Kiu has been a helping hand to me leaving breadcrumbs of different opportunities to shaping me into the person truly want to be in the future. For instance, it helped me change myself from playing the role of a follower to a leader within a group. When I was in the junior form, I was an outgoing person and wasn’t a single bit shy. I was packed with a handful of confidence. However, when it came to be a leader, I was completely petrified. There were no trainings given back in primary, thus, when it came to group projects, all I could do was take up whatever task I was given and do it. With the abundance of house activities, throughout the years I have finally captured the arts of being a leader. It turned out it wasn’t just about the allocation of tasks. It was also about being a role model and accepting ideas. I rose from being a committee member of Mercury to being the captain of the schools’ rugby team and from that to the Vice President of the Student Union. The journey was in the least but child’s play. I had to sit through hours of lectures and overcome the glares and criticism given by certain people. But this is what forged me into who I am now. There aren’t a lot of leaders, but that is what leaders are for. I am thankful for every opportunity given.

On the other hand, going through my secondary school life, certain teachers have taught me the virtue of timing. Different actions call for different times. Knowing when your are crossing the line may sound easy, yet the majority of pupils still fail to keep their teachers from feeling displeased every day. Knowing the right timing is what determines you as a mature person. I remember being hauled down to see the discipline teacher with my friends pretty much twice a week for inappropriate manners in school. It then struck me one day, is this how I want to spend the rest of my life? Having fun but yet disapproved by people around me was definitely not in my book. As time went by, my trips down to the office significantly decreased. I didn’t have less fun than I did before, I simply knew the right time and place to just relax and have fun. Although Pui Kiu didn’t particularly play a significant role on turning me into a mature student, it did inspire me into becoming a student others approve of. I may still have flaws, but learning to accept it and improve myself had also been part of the process of maturing.

Last but not least, I have also learnt the importance of committing yourself into doing something. Competition is high in Pui Kiu, I used to think that the reason why I never win is because I am unlucky. But little did I know, the effort that my opponents had put in was double of mine. Take the first Student Union election I participated in Grade 7 as an example. All the work was done by the President and the Vice Presidents, while the others were just there to have fun. No effort was put in, I didn’t even know what my given post was. That’s how we ended up losing embarrassingly. Be that as it may, it wasn’t what changed my perspective on succeeding. What changed me was a lecture given to me by my athletics coach, teacher Lee Ka Wah. He emphasized the importance of commitment in succeeding because no amount of talent can ever beat dedication. This was life-changing for me. I started working for what I loved or wanted, and I must say, the result of working for what you want is way more rewarding than receiving something for granted. I couldn’t be more ecstatic after knowing that our cabinet has been elected for this year’s Student Union. All of us had been working sleeplessly before the election. I am sure that all sorts of commitment pays off, the more you put in, the more you get. This had been a valuable lesson for me and led me to success.

I may still be flawed on different aspects but it is undeniable that throughout my years in Pui Kiu, I have changed my attitude and perspective towards who I want to be. If only my Grade 7 class teacher could be here to see what I have achieved.