- Peony Sham, 17, scores top prize for volunteering and spearheading mental health initiative at annual event organised by Post and sponsored by Jockey Club
- Olympic medallist Siobhan Haughey presented the award for sportsperson of the year, encouraged pupils to follow their dreams
Daphne Chan (left), winner of this year’s sportsperson award, with world champion Siobhan Haughey at the ceremony. Photo: SCMPThe annual Student of the Year Awards honoured 37 Hong Kong secondary school pupils this year, with a 17-year-old from Harrow International School taking home the top prize for her all-around achievements and contributions to society.
The 42nd award ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on Saturday under a “take action to drive positive change” theme.
The annual event, organised by the South China Morning Post and sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) with support from the Education Bureau, recognises senior secondary school students’ academic achievements and community contributions.
Hundreds of Form Four to Six pupils competed for 11 awards across nine categories, including languages, science, sports and visual and performing arts. Prizes were also awarded for best improvement, best devotion to the school and community contribution, as well as the grand prize given to a student who displayed remarkable talent and outstanding achievements in a specific field.
At the awards ceremony, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, the city’s No 2 official, described the winners as the “leaders of tomorrow”, adding the government valued youth development, which had undergone “good progress”.
Last December, authorities published the first Youth Development Blueprint to introduce more than 160 measures offering support to young people, including internships and exchange programmes in mainland China and overseas.
“I encourage [young people] to grasp these opportunities … to broaden your horizons and achieve self-enhancement. Such exposure will surely help you contribute to building a better Hong Kong, as a stronger super-connector between the mainland and the international world,” Chan said.
Gabriel Leung, the HKJC’s executive director in charities and community, agreed on the importance of empowering the city’s next generation after the pandemic.
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the HKJC’s scholarship programme and its 10-year partnership with the Post in staging the SOTY awards, the club said it would give a special scholarship to the winner of the grand prize and the first and second runners-up to cover their undergraduate studies.
“I hope that would serve as encouragement for these great students to do even better,” Leung said.
Catherine So, CEO of the Post, acknowledged the importance of the awards, saying that they had propelled countless talented students towards success for more than four decades.
“Their remarkable achievements and unwavering dedication bear testament to the rich potential that resides within the youth of our city,” she said.
The winners of the 11 categories will be given scholarships ranging from HK$5,000 (US$5,615) to HK$25,000.
Peony Sham Pui-yan, a Year 12 student studying at Harrow International School, scored the grand prize this year.
The teenager’s passion for volunteering started in secondary school. She has worked on various community service projects and is particularly concerned about mental health.
Last year, she founded a global youth initiative called “We Want Well-being” to provide peer support on matters related to mental health in the city and the international community.
“This award serves as recognition for the positive changes I’ve made to my community, and I hope to serve as an inspiration and role model for other people to also make positive changes and be the best they can be,” she said.
Peony has excelled in the Hong Kong Youth Speech Competition and the Hong Kong Senior Schools Debating Championship.
She is planning to study medicine at university to continue her mission of helping people.
“I’m planning to apply … both [in] Hong Kong and overseas. But in the future, I want to work in Hong Kong and serve my community,” she said.
In addition to the HK$25,000 reward for winning the top prize, Sham will receive the club’s special scholarship to cover her undergraduate studies.
More than 20 alumni who previously won the awards were also at the ceremony. Among them was Siobhan Haughey, winner of the SOTY sportsperson award in 2013.
The Olympic medallist said it was “encouraging and inspiring” to meet the new generation of winners.
“[The SOTY award] has got a lot more competitive throughout the years … because all these students are multitalented and they are doing all these amazing things for Hong Kong.”
The top swimmer encouraged students to keep exploring despite setbacks in life.
“If you just keep persevering and following your dreams and your passions, you’ll succeed,” said the 25-year-old, who is gearing up for World Championships in Japan next week and the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September.
Daphne Chan Nok-sze, an 18-year-old fencer from St Paul’s Co-educational College, won the sportsperson award this year.
Chan, who began fencing at the age of six, is the first female foil fencer from the city to win gold at the Bangkok Junior World Cup Championship.
SOTY 21/22: Visual Artist winner shares how his love for drawing inspired him to become an architect
After taking home medals at the Asian Cadet Fencing Championship and Hong Kong President’s Cup Fencing championship, she is eyeing the coming Senior World Championships at Milan next week as well as the Asian Games in September.
Chan said receiving the award from Haughey was “good motivation” for her.
“I hope I can represent Hong Kong to fence [at] a lot more international competitions and I can be on the Olympic stage one day,” she said.