To Maggie, the advantage of living in a student hostel is not about escaping from the restraints of living at home, but rather, with these broader horizons, to gain more points of common interest that she can discuss with her mother.

Maggie’s mother, Grace, is an office assistant at the HKIEd. Maggie said she feels “rather funny” to be studying at the same place where her mother works. This feeling is particularly strong when she gets “inside news” such as “when the school bus is going to do special runs”, etc.

Living under the same roof as her mother makes Maggie more “aware and appreciative” of her mother’s job at the Institute. “I am very aware that Tai Po suffers weather extremes. It is hotter than many other places in Hong Kong when the weather is hot and much colder when it is cold. So, I can now understand why my mother falls sick, occasionally.” Maggie said.

If her mother is Maggie’s blood bond, the Institute is an important link to her personal growth. It has been seven years since Maggie took up teaching after her graduation and tackling students’ emotional problems has become a part of her daily duties. She therefore decided to return to the HKIEd recently, to take enhancement courses at our city centre twice a week. It is all part of Maggie’s continuing journey to fulfil the dreams of her teaching career.