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Justine Ooi
University of Western Sydney, Australia
Exchange to Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
Hong Kong
My name is Justine Ooi and whilst I・m overwhelmingly
aware that every exchange student would have said
this at some point throughout their journey, it can
not be said enough, the exchang
e experience was,
without doubt, one of the most amazing defining
journeys of my life!
With one semester left of my Business and Commerce degree at the University of Western Sydney (UWS), I decided to seize the opportunity of student life by applying for a scholarship provided jointly by the Australian government and the Hong Kong-based corporation, Cheung Kong Holdings.
I soon discovered that I was successful and I am so thankful. Not only did the scholarship allow me to study and live overseas without the stress of having to support myself, with the newly discovered time I acquired from not having to work whilst studying, I was able to uncover new interests and take part in university organized activities that I would not have had time to participate in otherwise.
My exchange experience was incredible! In every sense of the word it was just the most brilliant adventure I have ever signed up for. I couldn・t have chosen a better city to study, to learn about business, to shop, to have a treasure hunt, to get lost, to party, to eat, to go island hopping, or to meet a hundred different people all at once!
Hong Kong has such a great energy that you can almost feel it buzzing. When you・re there it feels like time speeds up, and if you don・t keep pace, you・ll fall off the ride. If your soulmate could be a city, then I have most definitely found mine.
I made such great friends throughout the semester that I am still in contact with. Thanks to the exchange programme I now have friends in every part of the world. In fact, I write this letter now on a round-theworld theworld trip where all the exchange students have decided to have a reunion, one in Europe and one in the United States.
Soon after arriving in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University organized a ：Sports Day； and after a brief encounter with boxing gloves, I joined a Muay Thai Boxing Club and unearthed a passion I never knew existed. The Hong Kong club embraced me and even took me along as part of the Hong Kong Muay Thai Association to the Muay Thai Championships in Thailand.
With UWS and Hong Kong Polytechnic University happy to help at every step of the way, everything was made so easy. Whilst of course there were those days where I missed the beautiful country that is Australia, by embracing every opportunity the exchange offered, I have come out with such a rewarding experience.
With a love of Chinese culture, after graduating from UWS, I moved to Beijing, China and started studying Mandarin at the Beijing Language and Culture University. I simultaneously started working as a Business Training Consultant and got offered a job as a Foreign Consultant for a major Chinese public relations company that will soon have an office in Hong Kong.
So, it seems I will soon be reunited with the remarkable city. It・s incredible where some paths can lead you and I for one am just so grateful that this is where mine has led. Once again I would just like to thank UWS and Cheung Kong Holdings for the scholarship and the marvelous opportunity to study in Hong Kong . My thanks also to Mandy Baric for all the help she has given me and the continued support she has maintained. Thank you.
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