As he took on leadership roles across campus, Jun Hung Kwan-kei, a La Salle College graduate, made it his mission to help others shine.
His understanding of leadership was shaped long before he ever held a formal title. Hung grew up in the La Salle community – from primary through secondary school – and was surrounded by the same peers.
He also had older students who showed what leadership looked like and how it emphasised service.
“For juniors, they model their behaviour [on] the seniors,” said the 18‑year‑old, who now studies at Yale University in the United States.
Hung watched as his school’s student associations cultivated future leaders and organised meaningful events.
This left a deep impression on him. Rather than seeing leadership as authority or visibility, he came to associate it with responsibility and care.
In a school culture built on “faith, service and community”, Hung grew to believe that leadership was about helping others shine through motivation, he said.
That philosophy guided him when he became president of his school’s student association in 2021. Conscious that student welfare could not be understood from a single perspective, he adopted a deliberate, inclusive approach. His cabinet was intentionally diverse, bringing together athletes, musicians and academically inclined students.
“Having diversity within the cabinet itself gives me a lot of different insights into how different people see things differently,” he explained. To complement this, Hung introduced an anonymous feedback system that allowed students to voice their concerns and aspirations without fear.
“We didn’t want them to feel any pressure,” he said. These two strategies – representation and open listening – helped him identify what his peers truly needed.
His commitment to all‑rounded development was especially evident in his leadership of the annual Talent Quest.
Having previously served on the working committee, Hung had already reflected on how such events could be more thoughtfully planned and more inclusive.
As president, he saw the Talent Quest as an opportunity to challenge the narrow focus on academics that often dominates traditional school environments.
“We’re trying to give every student the platform to shine and showcase their talents,” he said.
For Hung, the event was about recognising abilities that often go unseen – whether athletic, musical or artistic. As a pianist himself, he understood the importance of having a stage.
“That’s all music is about, right?” he noted.
Hung found similar fulfilment in organising the Joint School Leadership Training Camp, which brought together around 60 participants.
Designing activities that incorporated the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Hung encouraged participants to contribute their unique strengths. The reward, for him, was “the smiles on their faces that they really enjoy the process”.
His outstanding dedication led to his recognition in the Best Devotion to School category of the 2024/25 Student of the Year Awards – organised by the South China Morning Post and solely sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club. Across classrooms, stages and camps, Hung’s leadership has remained consistent and grounded in service.
