Community Spotlight: Tommy Wong, Technology Strategy Consultant
Curious about what volunteerism and Time Auction events are all about? Meet our community who has shared their memorable experiences in their volunteering journey and meetings with our featured guests!
Meet Tommy Wong!
Shortly after graduating with a degree in Finance and Information Systems from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Tommy devoted himself to a consultancy firm. Tommy always aspired to become an entrepreneur and start his own business. It all began when he was at university and he ran a cafe with other students on campus for a year. Despite the short duration, the experience motivated him to start his own business in the future.
Tommy’s volunteer journey
Tommy volunteered as the school speaker of UNICEF to give speeches and presentations at primary and secondary schools, introducing the organization, raising awareness of humanitarian issues e.g. human trafficking, child labor and child soldiers prevalent in third world countries.
Apart from rendering education to the public, Tommy served the mentally disabled, kids and elderlies from underprivileged families. He also spent time with them organizing fun outdoor activities from stargazing in Cheung Chau to scavenger hunts. He believes the significance of volunteering does not merely lie on providing direct and immediate assistance to target groups but also drawing public attention on the urgency of issues and the underlying crisis via active education and promotion.
Not only does volunteering benefit the needy, volunteers gain physical and emotional satisfaction. Tommy first learnt sign language in order to communicate with his relative. As he mastered the basics, he provided courses on campus to provide an extra platform for the community to explore the world of the speech and hearing-impaired, whilst bridging them with society.
“I feel like my worries and sadness vanished — pure happiness is what remains.”
Apart from gaining an extra skill, Tommy found a sense of serenity through volunteering with mentally disabled children. He spent a day or so every weekend to teach and play with them. Initially, he worried that he might not be able to handle the unpredictable behavior of the children. However, that quickly changed and he felt very comfortable with them.
Tommy was curious to know what motivated the other volunteers to work with these children. One of the teenagers shared he felt he was in another world, filled with joy and simplicity, allowing him to banish all his worries and problems when he volunteered.
What Tommy learned from Time Auction Experiences
Talking about his experience with Time Auction, Tommy found they had a life-changing impact on his aspirations, goals and particularly, career development.
He laughed as he recalled his mentee-mentor bonding with Sandra Leung, COO, Market Development, HKEX and also one of the Board Directors of Time Auction. With similar backgrounds in the field of Finance, Tommy chatted with Sandra and sought for career advice. Sandra generously shared her views and experience which further enriched his knowledge in the field.
One of the most unforgettable takeaways from the Time Auction event was a quote from Belinda Koo, Founder of XYZ and Managing Director of UBS.
“Be an asset, not a liability.”
This later became Tommy’s life motto, signifying that every member of the community should bring value and contribute back to the society regardless of their position and power.
Other than meeting with gurus in business-related fields, Tommy also attended the dinner with Vincci Cheuk — writer, talk show host and standup comedian. He was a fan of Vincci since secondary school and was surprised to learn that every tone, movement and pause in her show was carefully rehearsed hundreds of times. Cliche as it might seem, overnight success could not last long without comprehensive preparation and perseverance.
Through the Time Auction events, Tommy gained a deeper understanding of his future career, encouraging him to set life goals amid uncertainties.
Thank you so much to Tommy for contributing 119 volunteer hours and participating in 11 of our events!
To see our upcoming experiences, head over to the Time Auction website!
Interviewed & written by Gloria Ip| Edited by Fleur Hui
