Mack Tung

Future of Sciences,
Youth Advocate

Mack Tung is someone that many people would describe differently. Some would say he’s smart, logical and scientific, whereas others would say he’s empathetic, relatable and easy to get along with. He is constantly invested into learning new things about the subject he likes, and loves to collaborate with those that he’s close with. Whenever one of his friends comes over any difficulty, be it a roadblock in their studies or a mental dilemma, Mack is always there to help them understand and get through. He strives to understand the point of view of everyone he interacts with, and create an environment where no one is left feeling stranded.

Growing up, the most important lesson that he has ever learned was how one thrives in society in the 21st century. He is sure everyone’s had embarrassing moments in their lives, and each one of them teaches everyone a lesson. In the world right now, many things can make one’s life go off the rails, be it something one said, or the way one behaved towards someone specific. For example, in a variety of TV shows nowadays, there are always at least two stereotypical character tropes: the bully and the nerd. In school settings, it’s always everyone making fun of the nerd for being so smart, having glasses, etc., and the bully being the cool and popular kid in class. When he was younger, he always wanted to be popular, and being influenced by the internet he constantly tried being cool, thus leading him to somewhat pick on people. This, unlike the shows he constantly watched, led to him embarrassing himself, and having to live with a lifelong regret of trying to be cool. The lesson he learned then was to never try to force something onto yourself. If it’s to be popular, one doesn’t need to follow other people’s actions, especially if doing so would get one into trouble. It would be to be oneself as best as one can, making oneself unique and standing out amongst a sea of people.

Currently, Mack pursues a wide range of academic and extracurricular activities to better find his areas of interests. In terms of school, he is taking a variety of iGCSE courses ranging from Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science and Math to English Literature/Language, German (Foreign), Chinese (Foreign) and Economics. For his extracurriculars, Mack is active in Inter School Sailing competition/festival, MATE ROV robotics club, various charity volunteer work such as Feeding Hong Kong’s food drives, bread runs, surplus food repackaging and distribution of necessities. He is also a member of his school’s Secondary Choir and Vocalis (a separate choir in school). Having a passion for music, he and his friends have come together to form two bands together. Every so often they go out to perform in school events, clubs, and even during the AIA festival.

Looking ahead, Mack aims to pursue impact in a wide and interdisciplinary manner, tackling the issues of mental health, cybersecurity, disinformation, inclusive education, poverty and climate change as well as their interrelationships. One topic which is of particular interest to him is further understanding the causation of mental health issues as a result of climate change. He understands that these global issues are complex, and he aims to dedicate his time in identifying and solving the common root causes underlying them.