Harvard Book Prize 2022

The Harvard Book Prize is awarded to exceptional S5 students who have accomplished academic excellence and have made impactful contributions as responsible members of society. On 27th of May, we were honoured to receive the Harvard Book Prize Essay Awards after joining the Harvard Book Prize Scholarship Competition. The ceremony was held at the Catholic Ming Yuen Secondary School and as one out of eleven semi-finalists in Hong Kong, Anna had an opportunity to be interviewed by the judges about her thought process while writing her essay. Later, she had photos taken with the judges and other semi-finalists for this prestigious award. Along with their certificates, the three winners of our school, 5A Anna Chan Jour-Yain, 5A Nicole Chan Cheuk Yu and 5E Sally Po Tsoi Nam, received a book entitled The Present by Spencer Johnson, which is about a man’s journey as he faces challenges during unprecedented changes just like how we have adapted to a “new normal” during this pandemic. As the semi-finalist, Anna has been invited to join the Harvard Mentorship Program and benefit from the meeting and learning from their alumni in Hong Kong. 

5A Anna Chan Jour-Yain, the award semi-finalist, and the judging panel of the Harvard Club of Hong Kong.

5A Anna Chan was awarded the book prize with her teacher advisor, Ms Yeung.

Fittingly, we were asked to write an essay on a particular topic, experiencing alienation during the pandemic. We agreed that the contest was not an academic burden nor a waste of time, but in fact, it made us contemplate serious issues in our society and deepened our thinking. We believe that joining this writing contest has broadened our horizons and enhanced our writing skills. Overall, it was an invaluable opportunity to share our thoughts and receive constructive feedback from the judges.

In the end, we would like to express our gratitude to our English teacher, Ms. Yeung, who provided us with enormous support and guidance throughout this nomination process. As well, special thanks to Mr. Hedley who accompanied us to the ceremony, and we would like to thank the school for giving this priceless opportunity to participate in a contest hosted by such a widely-recognized institution.

5A Anna Chan and 5E Sally Po

You can check out Anna’s winning essay through here.

5E Sally Po and 5A Nicole Chan with their teachers Ms Yeung and Mr Hedley.