Chong Tsz Yen, Hayley’s Story
HKU Business School
BBA

Hayley, a third-year BBA student, has been a regular Student Ambassador for the Global Friends Programme (GFP) organised by CEDARS. Last year, she was also the Student Coordinator of the Programme. With her passion and endeavours in assisting international students to adapt to their life in HKU and Hong Kong, she has had lots of enjoyable and precious moments in these two years.

Hayley is also an experienced Master of Ceremonies (MC) at CEDARS.

“When I read the email about the Programme, I knew that it would be a great opportunity for me to deploy my knowledge and experience in the metropolis to help non-local students familiarise themselves with the new living and learning environment, as well as to make new buddies,” Hayley beamed.

As a Student Ambassador, Hayley is responsible for numerous duties. “My prime role is to plan and organise events for my group. This year, I brought them to a DIY workshop in Cheung Chau for making love locks. Therefore, I had to arrange everything for the trip, like contacting and delivering messages to students about the activity,” she said. Apart from these preparations, leading students to engage in the Programme is another major task for her. “Getting everyone involved is essential as well. In the meantime, it’s arduous – we have to ensure that all students are participating in the events. It requires patience and skills to lead the discussion and interaction,” she emphasised.

Hayley and her group took a photo with their love locks in Cheung Chau.

When being asked about the impact of the Global Friends Programme on her university life, Hayley could not hide her gratefulness to CEDARS. “This Programme provided a platform for me to build connections with peers from different backgrounds. More importantly, it enabled me to help them integrate into the local community. I deeply understand how lonely and scary it is when one is staying in a foreign country or region alone. Therefore, I’m willing to take the initiative to chat with non-local students and try to give useful suggestions to them.”