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36 / OUR COMMUNITY

Gap Year:

Work or Travel?

Hong Kong gappers intern. Others volunteer and travel

By Katherine Wang and Lasley Lui

tudents always face many tests vision aligns with my personal value is
and exams. Taking a break from really important.”
Sacademics for a year and having Another organization, Projects
a rest sounds attractive to them. Leadership does Abroad, also provides worldwide
“Gap year”, originated in western volunteering programmes for young
countries in the 1960’s, provides a not improve over people. They can choose among pro-
golden opportunity for students to ex- grammes like teaching, c on -
plore the world, look for a richer spir- time at school servation and care
itual life and exchange cultural ideas . based on their
It is usually taken between the end of interests and
secondary school and the start of uni- ops when we are conducting multicul- professions. The
versity, or during university education. tural leading roles,” says Chan. After most popular

the gap year, he knew what his ideal destination is Ne-
What did Hong Kong students do working environment looks like in his pal and teenagers
during their gap years? future career. “Whether the company like to attend medi- Chan Wing-chi
Oscar Chan Chi-kin, a Year 3
business student at the
Hong Kong Uni-
versity of Science
and Technology,
took a leap in Sin-
gapore last year
to work as a vol-
unteering national
team vice-president Oscar Chan
Chi-kin
for AIESEC, a plat-
form for young peo-
ple to develop leadership. “Instead of
being career-driven like most others, I
hope for clarity of life direction, figur-
ing out what I love to contribute to,”
he says.
“Leadership does not improve Gappers reunited at International Congress 2017 in Colombia
over time at school. Instead, it devel- Photo courtesy of Oscar Chan