Reflections of a SMIC-I alumna and teacher

Hi SMIC-I! I am probably the most … patriotic (?) SMIC alumni there is since I’m back here again. I graduated in 2010, and went off to HKUST (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology). I worked in Hong Kong for three years doing marketing research for huge MNC (Multinational Corporations) companies. Two years ago, I decided I didn’t like the office life, so I pursued a path in teaching and ended up teaching 3rd grade at SMIC-I.

The hardest thing about growing up is figuring out who you are – at least for my life, that’s still the hardest part. I consider myself a hard worker, and so I thought as long as I put effort into what I was doing, I could do just about anything. That was kind of true since I went off to study business, which is ironic given how bad I am with numbers and math – but, I still graduated with a double major.

My first job was at a top marketing research firm. I handled these huge clients, [which] really decorated my resume. My skills in Excel really helped me get noticed at the job. My clients were mostly great; colleagues, not so bad; I felt proud of my late-but-not-so-late hours, but I wasn’t entirely satisfied.

I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t happy though since I had a pretty good career path laid out for me. I was able to give presentations in English, Chinese, and even did a few in Cantonese. I even switched jobs where I got to work with an entirely different field – semiconductors (homage to SMIC??) and automobiles.

One thing that I’ve kept consistent since high school [though] was tutoring and volunteering at different camps with younger children. Eventually, I figured out that no matter how tired I was during the week, I was never able to find an excuse to not go tutoring Saturday mornings, and when I got to class, I would miraculously have all the energy in the world. All that energy would drain out after class though.

My life precept would be: energy for your passion should never run out or be compromised. If you can, figure that out while you’re young. If you can’t, it’s never too late. As long as you’re happy and proud of the person/lifestyle you’ve chosen, then you won’t let anyone knock you down.

Featured Image – Asta, assistant coach of Varsity Girls Volleyball, poses with cupcakes after a game Courtesy of Asta Fu