Clara Chau — 17 years old Programmer
Teenage Clara: “I will be a Programmer!”, now running a Social Media Data Intelligence and Public Relations Consultancy
Video of Clara talking about study (with English Subs) and her Consultancy of Social Media Data Intelligence & Public Relations:
Original Chinese Article: http://startupbeat.hkej.com/?p=45673
The 17-year-old Clara, was an out performing student, she is even a gifted child.
Unexpectedly, she has decided to leave home, forgone the chance to enroll in a university, but to become a Programmer.
Her family believes that she is a rebellious teenager, forces her go back to school. She resisted, lives away from home.
When I was writing the article, I also constantly ask myself a question, would there be more people like Clara? Is she a prologue to another generation? Or she is simply an odd, just the black sheep of our society?
“They said I was the rotten apple in the family. “
With her road ahead being uncertain, she seeks for teachers’ advice, but only gets downed in return.
“The teacher said, without an University Degree, your life would be hardly possible. “
She would not yield, tried explaining to the teacher.
“I told him, that now I am working in a Startup, and I’ve got my place. “
“Yet unexpectedly and provokingly he said, if you are indispensable as a 17, your company is doomed! “
At that moment, Clara had a short fuse, she clenched her fist.
Fallen for Programming
Clara is a typical Hong Kong teenage girl, smart, concentrated, surprisingly tough. Throughout her years, studying was never an obstacle to her, but the fear lies in communications.
In the entire Secondary School life, she went out with friends only twice, once was for karaoke, the other was for cycling.
Finally, she met a friend as introvert as her.
“The summer holiday of Secondary 4, I joined Baptist University’s Java Programming course, regarded as my first programming experience. “
Programming was like her old friend at first sight, to the point where, in the culture of IT being undervalued labour in Hong Kong, she has decided to be an outstanding programmer.
“The day I picked up programming, I discovered my responsibilities, which were not to be schooled, my grades have been dropping since then. “
“I realized then, schooling was lame, what’s on the book does not give you much in the society. “
When she was in Secondary 5, as public exam approaches, she introspects even more about the meaning of schooling.
“I was given a lot of past exam papers, homework, though was useless, but was mandatory. “
“The pressure was overwhelming, within one year of suffer, I lost almost 30 pounds, I was 80-ish pounds at my worst. “
If you are a fish, don’t learn to fly, if you are a bird, don’t learn to swim.
(This basically tells us that we are living in a world of specialization, not standardization. Take up something that fits your character, not the other way around, just to fit in some sort of standard. )
Leaving Home
Having finished exam, by the start of Secondary 6 (S6), Clara put her plan in actions, skipped almost the entire final year of high school, buries herself in programming.
“Cannot care much at that time. “
The school phoned up her parents, and surely her parents strongly opposed her decision, insisted on putting her back in school.
Clara resolutely runs away from home.
Have you tried discussing with your parents? Or attempt to explain? Maybe they can comprehend?
“If your decision is to drop schooling, nothing said can make them understand anything. “
“They told me I was the rotten apple in the family, just like being the black sheep of the family, which makes me determined to leave. “
By chance she met Andrew Shuen, a district councilor assistant at that time.
“I met him back in some time ago. As I left home and being tapped out, confused and uncertain, I went to see him. “
Andrew is one of the founders of a think tank, Lion Rock Institute, while also being a financial commenter, racing horse owner, he has a vast network of people. Despite him being unique and somewhat crazy with his way, he has got extraordinary observation. After a quick chat with Clara, he concluded a probability of her having Asperger, and he asked her right away.
“I was stunned, and I assured him his conclusion. “
Andrew introduced Clara to work at his think tank as an intern, to widen her social circle. Though the two of them have 20-ish years of age difference, he is both her mentor and friend, with quite an impact on her life.
Striving on Her Own
Do not wish to live under someone’s roof, Clara had only one way out, to make her own money.
“I tried looking for programming jobs, but not much of a success. After all, without some good speaking skills, you can hardly convince people to pay you. “
IT personnels’ income in Hong Kong is not that bad, but no employers will ever hire a S5 teenage. Moreover, though programming freelance is quite in demand, but the salesmanship, network and experience that it requires, Clara by then had none of it.
But Clara did not give up, she even goes so far as to tackles this difficulty by, what is deemed the worst fear of any people with Asperger, socializing.
“Some things just take experience. Since I left home, I meet people 7 nights a week, seeing some friends, grabbing a drink, or participating some events. Over the time, you become more comfortable meeting people. “
“Having met a group of programmers, sometimes we exchange programming problems, and people are willing to discuss. “
“There doesn’t need to be any purpose, meeting some friends, having some laughs, talking about life, and there we spend the evening. “
After some time, Clara has gotten used to meeting people. In the past 2 years, she was involved in some local Startup’s programming freelancing projects, made sufficient money and living on her own.
Soon enough, Clara gets offered a full time job, she develops for the company, a social media data intelligence system, regarded as her first “Baby”.
Giving Up University
Asking several generations in Hong Kong the same question, “Is University necessary? “ The answer is surely a “yes”.
To Hong Kong parents, providing their kids University is an important responsibility, plus teenagers see University as a certain stage of life. Government provides subsidy anyway, unless you cannot enroll in one, otherwise there is no excuse for skipping University.
Rarely there is anyone like Clara, measuring University as a matter of “Opportunity Cost”, introspecting the necessity of University.
“Not going to University does not mean letting those years go wasted, instead, it’s taking the years to build up your actual experience. “
“When people finish school, I already have at least 5 years of experience (including S6), by then our capacities might not differ much, or optimistically, I may end up with higher capacity, as long as my years are fruitful. “
As a gifted child, Clara has the abilities and conditions to take University. But ever since the year of S6, having seen the outside world, she does not want to waste her time.
She seeks for teachers to discuss the matter, but only gets downed in return.
“The teacher said, without an University Degree, your life would be hardly possible. I still remember the way he stared at me, he told me I made a wrong decision in life, it’s like saying I was hopelessly stupid. “
“I responded telling him that’s not true, because in the Startup I am working in, I have certain importance, and I have got my value. “
“Yet unexpectedly and provokingly he said, if you are indispensable as a 17, your company is doomed! “
Clara described, she was just short fused, so full of anger that she almost wanted to pick up the chair and smash it on him.
She is just being passionate about her work, as her teacher, better to give her support and encouragement, but not to kill her spirit.
“Technology takes time investment, things are very dynamic, constantly evolving everyday, not being fully invested for 4 years makes a big difference. “
She emphasizes, not taking University was a rational decision, absolutely not a matter of impulsiveness. She talked to her parents, just that it always ended up in an upsetting argument.
“Even though you consistently tell them for 10 years, they are gonna think University is for a better life. “
“But I just can’t understand, in their generation, giving up University would probably be a deadly decision. But can’t they just see that we’ve got Degree Easing, helpless. “
Be Brave for Yourself
There is an advertisement featuring Dayo Wong Tze Wah (黃子華) recently, which says “Everybody acts like one, do you dare, not act like one? “ (「人人都係咁，你敢唔敢，唔係咁？」)
It first reminded me of Clara.
“I know a man, in his mid-thirties, not that old, they said they were really poor as a kid, living in a shack (木板屋). And after years of effort, look at me now, I get 81k (HKD) salary every month!. “
“And then you’ll be like, ‘Oh Shit’, these people think money means everything. “
For your believe, your dream, endlessly taking up challenges, never compromising, don’t you find it tiring?
“Andrew taught me one thing, if you are a fish, don’t learn to fly, if you are a bird, don’t learn to swim. “
(This basically tells us that we are living in a world of specialization, not standardization. Take up something that fits your character, not the other way around, just to fit in some sort of standard. )
Epilogue
For different reasons, from interviewing to finishing this article, it takes quite a long time. I visited her secondary school, met some teachers, went to see her at the Beer Bay drinks, I also witnessed her 18th Birthday.
Everytime we meet, it always feels unbelievable to me, “how come it’s possible she is only 18. “
Because of the stability at work, Clara has recovered her relationship with parents, allowed to move back home. But she is still determined not to take University, by now she what wants the best is to have her masterpiece product, and being a good Data Scientist.
In recent years, Hong Kong has been promoting STEM eductionation, and here I am thinking, if we have got STEM in the first place, would Clara need to suffer from her school years and decisions?
When I was writing the article, I also constantly ask myself a question, would there be more people like Clara? Is she a prologue to another generation? Or she is simply an odd, just the black sheep of our society?
