Cheryl Wong Lok-ching, a Heep Yunn School graduate, is an extrovert with an infectious smile and warm presence; she brightens a room and listens with sharp, compassionate attention.
A long-time volunteer in nursing homes and community centres for children, she found her true calling during a chance encounter with ethnic minority schoolchildren at her mother’s school.
Monitoring how they navigated classrooms and playgrounds, she realised the profound impact of language and culture on every interaction.
“I observed how these non-Chinese-speaking children struggle with the language barrier, not just in the classroom but also in social settings … I could see the persistent subtle discrimination they endured,” she recalled.
Cheryl launched a school-wide recruitment campaign that attracted nearly 100 students to kick off the non-Chinese Integration Volunteer Series. The primary goal of this initiative is to help ethnic minority students improve their Chinese language skills.
Those leadership roles reshaped her understanding of community change. Now 17, Cheryl reflected on what she had learned about teamwork.
“In the past, I thought that my experience and knowledge in volunteer work was sufficient for me to lead and accomplish multiple projects on my own,” she said. “When I engaged other volunteers as a leader, I soon realised that teamwork is key to effective community services that produce significant and sustainable changes.”
With that insight, she organised language workshops, storytelling sessions and speech training tailored to ethnic minority students.
In January, she received honours in both the Outstanding Young Volunteer and Top Ten Volunteers categories at the Hong Kong Volunteer Awards, organised by the Hong Kong Agency for Volunteer Service. Additionally, she was invited to contribute to the Youth Development Blueprint, where she shared her ideas with Home and Youth Affairs Minister Alice Mak Mei-kuen.
“I suggested that the government provide more career path guidance for ethnic minority youth, like organising more tailor-made career seminars and internship opportunities,” Cheryl said. “These suggestions are included in the blueprint. I’m also glad to see that the government has invested more resources in enhancing the Chinese language skills among the ethnic minority youth in the city.”
Cheryl’s most rewarding moments are intimate and human, such as when a timid girl takes her hand and asks when they will meet again, or when a stubborn boy with special educational needs finally joins the group. They come through the patient techniques learned from experienced volunteers.
“I am also happy to see that some of the volunteer recruits, who have been introverted and completely occupied in their studies, come out of their comfort zone and become open and proactive in volunteer service,” she said.
Named a finalist in the Community Contributor category of the 2024/25 Student of the Year Awards – organised by the South China Morning Post and sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club – Cheryl carries a clear vision: a society that is more inclusive, where language is transformed into bridges.
