Finding Strength in Sustainability

An avid scuba diver with a passion for marine life, Samantha Yuen—a 2021 graduate of the Environmental Management and Technology (EVMT) program at HKUST—has a heightened awareness of the impact of human activity, and the pollution we create, on marine ecosystems and the world at large. Equipped with a strong desire to enact change, Samantha was determined to explore her passion for sustainability which requires not only an individual citizen to act, but also the collaboration of several other important stakeholders, including regulatory bodies and corporations. This led her to the EVMT degree, a program designed to foster the strengths of future sustainability leaders.

Samantha propelled herself into internship opportunities to gain broad experiences and to deepen her understanding of the processes required to create lasting, sustainable change. During her second year of university, she was nominated by the Interdisciplinary Programs Office (IPO) to join HeadStart, one of the university’s career development and leadership programs offering an array of unique internship, mentorship and training opportunities. Through HeadStart, Samantha obtained an internship with Chow Tai Fook at Shenyang in China, gaining first-hand experience in the retail, marketing and brand management sectors while the experience working in China also gave Samantha invaluable cultural exposure.

Samantha further expanded upon her sustainability experience in subsequent internships in the Technical Services and Sustainable Development department at Swire Properties, and later, with Food Panda. While studying, Samantha also held part-time employment with engineering firm AECOM, working as an environmental sub-consultant.

Through these diverse experiences, Samantha discovered her preference for working in-house, and developed an appreciation of the commitment and daring mindset required by corporations as a whole—and not just individual sustainability departments—to initiate and nurture long-term, sustainable solutions. This new insight drove Samantha to seek out management and executive trainee programs, with the hope to gain cross-departmental experience and of one day leading the sustainability drive within a corporation. The L'Oréal management trainee program was one such opportunity.

Samantha underwent a rigorous interview process, which included a series of tests, group discussions and formal interviews, before receiving an offer, and today she is putting into practice the skills she has developed through a wide range of educational and internship experiences from the EVMT.

Samantha advises fellow students to purse of both hard and soft skills while studying, and to explore diverse internships and opportunities for further development. This, she believes, gave her a competitive advantage in her chosen field.

Students’ first few internship experiences will be wide ranging, and provide unexpected experiences. Samantha encourages open-mindedness, as this will prepare students to discover their true passions and make the most of these opportunities. While her internship at Chow Tai Fook was not directly related to sustainability, Samantha was able to develop communication, organisational and project management skills, which have proven useful traits for her management trainee position and served her well during her interviews with L'Oréal.