Endeavour Scholarship
Recipients in the 2015/16 Academic Year

HO Tsuen Ye, Martin
Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours in Applied Social Studies
The Open University of Hong Kong
I am very thankful for being awarded the Endeavour Scholarship. This is indeed a milestone in my life.
It was not until Secondary 3 that I came to know of my developmental coordination disorder. This explains why I used to have very low self-esteem. Ever since I was a child, I have been labelled as “clumsy” because from time to time, I would bump into the wall or knock over my chair when trying to stand up. What is more, I often failed to finish my papers during examination. My clumsiness has affected my relationship with others. However, at that time, I had no idea that these problems actually stemmed from my disorder. Later, I consulted an occupational therapist and learnt that I was born with a poor sense of space and sensory integration, which results in problems with gross and fine motor skills and slowness in writing. Worse still, this is a lifelong disorder, which means it can never be corrected.
I was unable to come to terms with this disorder and treat it as part of my life. I cared very much about how my classmates saw me. I studied hard in a bid to prove that I could achieve good results by doing my best. Last year, I was admitted to the Open University of Hong Kong. But in this unfamiliar environment, fear came over me again as I was anxious that I would also be labelled this time. At first, I lived my campus life by myself, because I did not dare to reveal my true self to my coursemates for fear that they would not accept me. But the truth is that I did not accept myself either.
With the award of the Endeavour Scholarship, I have learnt to try accepting myself and come to realise that one will eventually be appreciated and rewarded for the efforts he or she has made. Although I cannot change others’ views, I can change my own way of thinking. I should at least accept myself and bear in mind that my efforts will be recognised by society. This Scholarship has served as some form of encouragement during my journey of growth, enabling me to assure myself of my own worth and strengthen my self-confidence. In pursuing my goals, I have also developed empathy, which has helped me rebuild my self-worth. I want to be a social worker so that by reaching out to different quarters, I can inspire others with my life experience and help the needy.
Before I knew it, I have completed the first year of my programme. This is like going through an inner journey of life, from feeling inferior because of the diagnosis to re-accepting myself. During this, my interpersonal relationship had greatly improved. We all need to seek continuous development in order to move on in life. I firmly believe that, in retrospect, all of us would see that life is full of love and grace no matter what difficulties, challenges, miseries and sufferings have come our way!
Last Review Date: 22/08/2017