It all started from the three years in Ying Wa
It all started from the three years in Ying Wa
Amanda Leung (梁蕙而) (’91 S3)
My family immigrated to Vancouver in the summer of 1991. It was a difficult age for me to adjust to a new life.
Both of my parents could not speak English well. So all of a sudden, I became the translator and spoke for the family! It was also a difficult time when my father fell ill and could not work. But he never gave up and still found minor repairing work contracts when he felt well enough. Life was not easy but my parents were resourceful, and I grew up not feeling I have missed anything. Sadly, they passed away in a traffic accident not too long after I started working. I always wish I had gone to that long driving trip with them and they might have avoided that accident...
Far far away, yet our hearts remain
Even though I only spent three short years in Ying Wa, the experience has fundamentally shaped my life. I feel very grateful and fortunate because my lifelong passion with software development and baking both started in Ying Wa. I can still vividly remember in one cookery class when I saw eggs turned into pale fluffy batter and baked into delicious sponge cake. The transformation was magical and I was hooked on baking since then!
I was one of those geeks who joined the Computer Club and spent my after-school hours sitting in front of the computer (Apple II ;-). It was fascinating to write some “for loops” with some “if.. then .. else”, and see diagrams displayed on a mono-colour screen. One day I happened to see some postings about computer-related jobs on a career bulletin board. At that very moment, I was determined that I would be a programmer (I was only in F1)! After so many years, I still feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to study in Ying Wa. This place has brought me so many good memories and also dearest lifelong friends.
A career path less travelled
After finishing Grade 12 in Vancouver, I took a two-year Diploma course in Computer System in British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and planned to continue studying for a computer science degree. Unexpectedly, I discovered a job opportunity and got hired. It was nice to gain more practical experience from a real job and as a bonus, the first company I served was paying for my evening courses to finish the bachelor’s degree. My job then was to develop a system to manage nationwide telephone networks. While my friends were still finishing their final year in university, I was fortunate that I was travelling to Hungary, sitting in the heart network operation centre to deploy the new releases and troubleshoot problems. Now my work is more focused on monitoring network health on the internet. For example, if you notice poor sound quality in zoom meetings or problems uploading your assignments to school, my monitoring software will identify if the problems are caused by the network or application.
Getting connected with Ying Wa girls and boys
I have been helping in the Vancouver Chapter since 2013. The Chapter is very unique as it is a joint community with Ying Wa College. Together we have organized annual dinner gatherings and raised funds for the new campus with various activities. We also have a WhatsApp group just for Ying Wa girls.
If you are already in Vancouver or planning to come to Vancouver soon, please contact ywalumni.van@gmail.com. We would like to reconnect with you. Do come and join the Ying Wa family.
