Reaching for the Sky
If you’re willing to try you can always get there”, believes 2015 graduate Michelle Lee. Michelle is participating in the history-making project “Inspiration” featuring Hong Kong’s FIRST homebuilt and locally registered aircraft now flying around the world. Learn more about Michelle’s high flying story here.
HKUST graduate helps make Hong Kong aviation history
Inspiration, Hong Kong’s first homebuilt and locally registered aircraft, made headlines in August when it took off for a three-month around the world tour. Among the crew that made Hong Kong aviation history was HKUST alumna Michelle Lee, who is now part of the aircraft’s ground support team.
A 2015 graduate, Michelle grew up watching movies like Top Gun and was always intrigued by the marvels of flight. Drawn to engineering as a high school student, she enrolled as a mechanical engineering major at HKUST, where she studied subjects related to aeronautical engineering. In response to growing enthusiasm among students like Michelle, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering this year launched its major in Aeronautical Engineering, which aims to bring top tier research to the University and nurture high-caliber professionals in the aeronautical and aerospace industries.
Recounting her experience in the Inspiration project, Michelle said that the team had a strong sense of self-belief. The success of Inspiration certainly shows that the sky is the limit. “If you’re willing to try, you can always get there,” she said.
Michelle credited her experience at HKUST for preparing her for this challenge. In particular, the internship she undertook was pivotal. “I truly developed a passion for aviation when I worked in the industry for a year,” she explained. Now a Graduate Engineer at Cathay Pacific, Michelle admits that she might not get the chance to make aviation history every day, but she is always looking forward to doing more. “This is the perfect example of doing what you love, and loving what you do.”
Source: IN FOCUS Fall 2015
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (www.ust.hk) is a world-class research university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee, and is ranked as the world’s best young university in Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2019. Its graduates were ranked 16th worldwide and top in Greater China in Global University Employability Survey 2018.
