THE ORATORY

I remember arriving at The Oratory School in 1995, fresh from a flight all the way from Hong Kong. I came to The Oratory without knowing much about the United Kingdom as this was obviously before social media and the internet. It was a culture shock, but in an exciting way! I had always known I wanted to study abroad, and very much relished this opportunity.

I spent my first year trying to adjust, learn a new language, and getting used to being a boarder. One of my first memories was being amazed that we had sports activities every day, as when I was in Hong Kong, we would only do sports twice a week. I discovered rugby and cricket and became the Captain of Badminton.

I was determined from a young age to study science. I never expected that The Oratory would expose me to so many different subjects and that I would find joy in them. I was delighted to receive a chemistry award during my studies. Art was another subject which I found myself excelling at, all thanks to the quality of teaching.

The Oratory School taught me discipline, a strong work ethic and an opportunity to master science subjects in the English language. This enabled me to return to Hong Kong and join Medical School with a strong upper hand. Conversing medically using the English language was a huge advantage in my early career and has led me to my current role as an Ophthalmologist, with a host of awards including a CP Fong Gold Medal in Medicine, H.C. Liu Prizes in Anatomy and numerous scholarships.

I still miss some things from The Oratory: my teachers, my friends, the beautiful grounds and I catch up with a few Old Oratorians who are based in Hong Kong with great fondness. I am also still close to my FitzAlan House Master Dr Andrew Nash, who I worked particularly closely with during my final year as Vice-Captain of the House. I visit him every time I come to the United Kingdom.