Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Antonia Heng

​Education. Many said that education changes lives – from building our knowledge of the world, helping us find our voices and to opening new doors for our future. But I say education changes lives because it enables you to meet teachers and mentors that could change your perspective forever.
 
Having studied in both the Eastern and Western education systems, I admire the discipline of eastern and creativity and the vocal nature of western system. But one thing is the same across them - the power of teachers/mentors. I’ve always believed that education has the power to empower and inspire individuals –nurturing youths are like giving them a pair of wings, a pair of wings that enables them to reach places no one would have thought of.
 
Having studied at the University of Oxford, I realised that UK universities are not as accessible as it should be. By observation, this education inequality are mainly driven by three factors: the lack of clear and comprehensive information regarding overseas universities applications for Hong Kong students, the financial difficulties students would face if they study abroad, and their ‘confidence gap’, a term I used to describe the fear of ‘giving it a shot’ due to the more realistic and conservative nature of thinking many Hong Kong students may have been raised to adapt. Having recognised this as a pressing issue, I founded Project Access Hong Kong (PAHK) in 2016 with the aim to combat inequality of opportunity step by step, student by student. Together with my team, we do this by giving underprivileged Hong Kong students the resources and the support to study at top universities in the UK via a mentorship program.
 
Here in Project Access Hong Kong, our subject and scholarship mentorship programs ensure that these talented individuals has access to all the resources and support needed, making their pursuit of higher education overseas easier and more accessible. We walk alongside mentees every step of the way. We believe that this peer-to-peer relationship between our mentors and mentees will provide emotional support for the students while providing first-hand advice during this process. Our program encourages thought-provoking conversations and we believe that meeting mentors that trusts in the abilities of underprivileged students will allow them to reach beyond the stars. It is our hope that this program would help groom a group of future leaders and influencers who will go on to shape our collective future.
 
So regardless of whether you are here as an applicant, a potential mentor or a donor – thank you for thinking of joining us in making a difference in your life and others.
 
Founder of Access Abroad Hong Kong,
Antonia Heng