• Student Corner
• Expressions Winter 2022

President’s Scholar

Goal Achiever Becoming Top Student

President’s Scholar, Mr Matthew Fok

Mr Matthew Fok, Bachelor of Dental Surgery Year 1 student, is one of the President’s Scholars in the academic year 2022/23. “I believe that people only become motivated when there are goals that are hard to achieve but easy to fail. Hence, to strive for the best, I am deeply convinced that I need to set big goals for myself,” he said.

Dentist-to-be Ready to Fly Up High

Mr Fok grew up in a loving family as an only child. His parents have always encouraged him to follow his dreams and widen his horizons. This outlook allowed him to accomplish a lot. Apart from achieving remarkable academic results, he obtained kayak proficiency bronze and silver certificates; and became a cadet corporal for over 2 years in Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps (HKACC). While kayaking can increase his strength and endurance, joining the air cadets can develop his leadership abilities and aviation expertise. HKACC is a uniformed group that encourages him to obtain a pilot’s license in addition to providing discipline training and aviation knowledge. He shared, “I find flying absolutely fascinating. I watched Top Gun: Maverick twice for this reason. The Paramount Picture Studio rented F/A-18 Super Hornets as the fighter jets featured in the movie in order to produce the incredibly realistic scenes. I had a great time viewing the convincing portrayal.”

Dentistry is a profession that combines science and art. It requires a lot of practical, hands-on work. As someone who enjoys manual dexterity-demanding activities like calligraphy and assembling Nanoblock, I am confident in handling dentistry.

The Power of Self-Discipline

The gap between setting goals and actually achieving them is self-discipline. Mr Fok said, “Self-discipline is fundamental to achieving great results. After achieving one goal, I would aim even bigger for the next, steadily working toward excellence.” To prepare for Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education, he started to develop a daily study schedule. He prioritized revision at that time. He made textbook material stick to his memory using memory techniques like active recall and spatial repetition. By using these techniques, he could spend more time studying marking schemes and practicing exam strategies. When under pressure, he changes his focus to pleasant memories or goals for future to be more resilient.

Mr Matthew Fok is a cadet corporal

Serving the Dental Industry

“Dentistry is a profession that combines science and art. It requires a lot of practical, hands-on work. As someone who enjoys manual dexterity-demanding activities like calligraphy and assembling Nanoblock, I am confident in handling dentistry,” Mr Fok said. He would like to serve the local community with his knowledge and talent. He was inspired by Greta Thunberg, a young climate activist who is fearless, enthusiastic, and dedicated to raising public awareness on climate change. He made the decision to contribute to the area of dentistry. In the near future, he hopes to become the chairperson of one of the student committees of Dental Society to strengthen ties among members of both committee and faculty. In the long run, he wants to see improvements in Hong Kong’s oral healthcare system so that more residents would be able to access services at reasonable prices.

President’s Scholars are top scorers admitted to HKU with level 5** in seven or more subjects in HKDSE who will be representing HKU to participate in ceremonies, conferences, and seminars to expand networks and develop interpersonal skills.