Four years ago this month, Justin Wong, a nursing student, set foot on the CUHK campus for the first time. Four years later, the once excited but anxious and perhaps slightly timid boy is now a senior at CUHK who is living his university life to the fullest. He is a learning enhancement ambassador in the GLEAM (a Group of Learning Enhancement AMbassadors) programme and a peer listener for the UrHeard mobile app. “By sharing personal experiences and interesting encounters, I hope to guide freshmen as they adapt to the new environment,” says Justin. “Helping CUHK juniors and leading group activities always gives me a sense of satisfaction. Apart from learning soft skills and expanding connections, I’ve learned to balance academics and extra-curricular activities. My communication and time management skills have also improved a lot.”

Connecting freshmen and GLEAM ambassadors

CUHK welcomes many new faces to its campus every September. To support freshmens’ adaptation to university life, the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) launched the GLEAM programme in 2020-21. The programme includes an array of interactive activities such as senior sharing sessions, providing an accessible platform for students who share similar interests and values to exchange learning experiences. Justin recalls having a difficult time fitting into the unfamiliar campus environment during his first year at CUHK. “This is why I would like to guide and support freshmen by sharing my personal experiences and insights. Although the University provides comprehensive information on course enrolment and student societies, I believe it is crucial to get more advice from seniors who have been down this road before.” By participating in the GLEAM programme, freshmen can acquire relevant information on specific courses and activities, and get themselves ready for a brand new start. Between 2020 and 2022, the programme benefited more than 500 new students, with some of them training to become ambassadors and serving a new batch of freshmen.