Rocky first joined Summerbridge as a student teacher in 2013, when he was an undergraduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles. Rocky majored in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics while in university. At the time, Rocky was looking for a summer opportunity where he could make a positive contribution to Hong Kong, the city he grew up as a child. At Summerbridge, Rocky discovered that science teaching could be an exciting endeavor. He was encouraged to creatively design and teach his own classes and the experience was eye-opening. Teaching wasn’t just about passing on knowledge, but also about creating a supportive and loving environment to foster real connections between teachers and students.
Inspired by his first summer, Rocky returned to Summerbridge for another four summers to serve as a Dean of Students, a role which saw him help student teachers build safe and positive environments for students to learn and grow. Rocky’s stance on education was solidified at Summerbridge. Students, no matter their socioeconomic background, not only deserved to learn in an engaging and exciting way, but were also fully capable of enjoying the educational process. For Rocky, this holistic and humble view of education and students was an epiphany.
Upon his graduating from university, Rocky started the process of obtaining his teaching credentials at California State University, Long Beach. While job-hunting, Rocky was very intentional in looking for schools that served underprivileged youth. Currently, Rocky is working as full-time teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, teaching Biotechnology and Chemistry, and fulfilling the commitment towards educational equity that he made at the end of his first summer at Summerbridge Hong Kong.
