Standing together through 170 years of excellence

The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works of student life all around Hong Kong, but students at St. Paul’s College have followed their tradition of perseverance and overcoming obstacles to continue scoring well in the HKDSE examinations.

Kwong Ho-to is the highest scorer at the school this year, achieving Level 5** in 7 subjects (including M1) and Level 5* in one other subject he took. The near-perfect achiever has decided to pursue medical studies at the University of Hong Kong.

“The pandemic restrictions have made it that much more difficult to prepare for the exam,” Kwong recalled. “But I’m glad that I have managed to apply extra self-discipline and focus on my studies.”

Dennis Yuen, principal of St. Paul’s College, said their teachers had gone beyond the call of duty to aid students through the challenges of class suspension and online remote learning.

“They have spared no effort in checking on our students’ progress as well as paying close attention to their mental state,” Yuen added.

The school has, over the years, produced many top students in the DSE exam, including ‘super top scorer’ Edward Wong Hon-yin in 2019, and two near-perfect scorers, Marcus Chew Chun-hin and Moses Li Kwok-tung, in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The high-fliers are currently studying medicine or law at local universities.

Yuen is justifiably proud of his student star performers, yet he emphasizes the school extends its pastoral care for one and all.

“As every student is unique, we try our very best to help them realize their individual potentials,” he explained. “St. Paul’s College aims at providing a caring and nurturing environment for our students to thrive and put their best foot forward.”

The boy-school is celebrating its 170th anniversary this year. The year-round festivities include an opera performance about student life at St Paul’s, an alumni choir concert, open day, lecture series and an exhibition about the school’s contributions to Hong Kong throughout its long, distinguished history.

Another highlight of the celebration is the reunion gala dinner with the theme “We Stand Together” scheduled for the end of the year ,if the pandemic allows. Alumni across the years and the oceans have made a point of coming back and joining together on special occasions to celebrate their camaraderie at school.

There will be a special event, which is the passing of the ‘watermelon ball’, a quintessential Hong Kong product made with hard plastic in red and white stripes. The ball holds dear memories for every St. Paul boy as soccer game is one of their favorite bonding moments during their school years.

“I’ve had a rollicking time kicking the ball in the yard with my brothers,” said Moses Li, a 2020 graduate studying medicine at CUHK, “The game is something that I miss the most since leaving school.”

The ball, as the principal describes it, is also a symbol of the fine tradition of passing from generation to generation for the boys.

The Christian school will conclude their 170th anniversary celebrations with a thanksgiving service at St. John’s Cathedral next May.