Before joining Melo, picture this: a young, eager 18-year-old with an overwhelming passion for mental health, but with a rather...shall we say, "shallow" understanding of the world.
On the very first meeting, sitting alongside top leaders like Bernard Chan, Alan Lau, and our co-founder Louisa Mak, I felt like a kid who accidentally walked into a movie set. During the whole meeting, I struggled to say a word. Why? A part of it is because I was stunned by Miss Hong Kong's beauty and the other part is the collective net worth in the room. (Kidding! But, seriously, it was intimidating!!)
And I am going to be totally honest about the first few JDs. It was tough. I tried to muster up the courage to ask questions and failed so badly. I was the guy throwing out questions that might have made a few people wonder if I'd been living under a rock. But every eyebrow raised was a lesson learned.
Fast forward, and there I was at the Melo graduation, holding the mic and hosting the roundtable as a moderator. And sure, there might have been a controversial point or two (Kenny, I still remember that look of disbelief at what I said), but what I did that day is something that I can’t imagine myself doing before Melo.Melo has been my crash course in breaking out of my comfort zone. It's made me braver, sharper, and more than a little wiser. I've seen, met, and learned from the best, and it's given me a roadmap to be the change-maker I always wanted to be.
And for my passion? It's transformed from just being an emotion to a driving force behind real actions.
Looking forward to my next chapter with Project Melo. Here's to more raised eyebrows, learning curves, and making a real impact among youth!