What do I believe?


As the child of immigrant refugee parents who was the first to go to college, I believe passionately in the power of education. Learning opens the doors to all kinds of possibilities that I hadn’t even dreamed possible in my childhood.

I believe that there is the possibility to continue to grow and change throughout one’s life. Every educational step is merely the one to the next. Education may be formal or informal. Learning and deepening one’s existing knowledge changes who you are.

Going to college / university is an opportunity to explore your academic interests. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read. I still believe that reading is one of the best ways to learn about new things and to explore an existing interest. (Hardly surprising then that my particular interest was English Literature and particularly the 19th century novel…) But my interests have expanded and widened as my bookshelves continue to expand – you’ll find a diverse and wide selection of books from literature (popular as well as classic) to humanities (especially history), but also theology, philosophy, science, management, education, etc… I read. My academic interests have broadened as I’ve got older.

I believe that education encourages global cooperation and understanding. While I may sit alone to read, at some point, I’m going to share my ideas and what I’ve learnt. For students, that means engaging with teachers at school or university but also their peers. We can all learn from each other. I believe in understanding someone’s viewpoint even if I don’t necessarily believe in it. Only through dialogue and sharing new ideas can one continue to grow.

I believe that going to college / university is not an end goal but a beginning. I value that I call my former teachers and mentors, and students I have taught and guided – friends.

Above all, I believe in shared humanity. We are all human. I believe that through education the world becomes a better place.