Happy Birthday, Auesome!

June 17th marks the end of Auesome Place’s first year. Standing at the point and looking back to this year, so many uncertainties, so much sadness, yet we never lose our faith for making Auesome Place awesome.

We still can’t believe it, Auesome has been around for a year, it hasn’t been an easy year.

I have to be honest, I’ve had doubts, probably we all had doubts at some point. But every single time when I see the smile on students faces when they are stepping in here or when I see the sadness on their faces when they are stepping out. That’s the moment we know, we are doing something meaningful and cheerful!

It was truly exciting to be there to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of Auesome Place with the entire community. Parents, students and educators were sharing pizzas and fruit smoothies made by our students; Auesome students were sharing and participating in games with students from other mainstream academies; families were watching a movie together, etc…

As the founder of Auesome Place, I was very happy to see all the familiar faces. In particular, I was pleased to have the chance to see some parents that I have known for years on this memorable occasion of my career. They are the ones who have given me the strength, the courage and a different perspective to further develop our program.

I strongly believe that teaching is an honorable profession and we must pay tribute to all our teachers. They understand our dreams, hopes and wisdom. Under their guidance, Auesome Place offers our students the best possible education and training by helping them lay a solid foundation for learning and living. In Auesome Place, every student is a prized individual. We give students room for development in ways commensurate with the student’s character, interest and ability. Emphasis is accorded to balanced growth, ie, balance between academic study and social/emotional development, between the study and use of English and Chinese. In such an inspiring learning environment, kids are more likely to be motivated to excel.

Yet, Auesome Place’s never rests on its laurel. Over the past year, we have strived to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning so as to support our students in facing the challenges and opportunities brought about in their daily life. Our mission is to bridge them with the mainstream, to prepare them for a better future and to provide more learning opportunities beyond the actual classroom. It is never about providing an extra bubble.

Therefore, you could see Auesome group sharing hand-made cookies with Lufthansa staffs; you could see them selling products that they designed during visual art classes in our compound; you could see them purchasing cooking ingredients in grocery stores and helping their family checking-off shopping list in IKEA, etc.

I also dare to say Auesome Place is not just a learning and training center to our students but also a joyful family in which we pursue our dreams together. Our strong sense of belonging to the community bonds us together no matter where we are. I know that every community member does show great support to Auesome in different aspects. Our 1st Anniversary event was an example of the contribution of the Auesome community.

Our program has given students the opportunities to broaden their horizons and acquire a deeper understanding of various career options. With the benefit of the holistic career, life planning support provided by the program and with the guidance of teachers, I am confident that Auesome Place will continue to excel in different professions.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to our teaching team and operation team for their dedicated efforts in offering all-round and quality education service to students over the past year. My sincere thanks also go to the parents who have been working in close partnership with our center and giving their love and support to their children. It is our hope that Auesome Place will encourage each one a step toward greater understanding, and greater acceptance throughout our society. With this culture, I am confident that we will continuously help students realize their potential, and become responsible and contributing members of the community!