ALUMNI

Class of 2013 Graduate

Suhail Bindra

I loved being part of the HKA community for twelve years, commencing my studies in Grade 1 (back in 2001) and graduating from the IB Diploma Programme in 2013 with a perfect score of 45 points. I obtained my LL.B. and PCLL from the University of Hong Kong as a HKSAR Government Scholar, being fortunate to receive over HK$400,000 in merit scholarships. After setting up my own consulting social enterprise and working in a startup, I worked in numerous not-for-profit organizations in the UK, Australia and Hong Kong, and also had a brief stint working in a private practice. With a passion for public interest litigation, I went on to obtain a Master of Public and International Law from the Melbourne Law School, graduating with First Class Honors. I had the chance to study under Professor Hilary Charlesworth, now a Judge at the International Court of Justice. Currently, I am a Legal Case Manager at Equal Justice Hong Kong, a not-for-profit community impact initiative that helps underserved people anticipate, prevent and solve their legal problems. In my free time, I run legal education courses for ethnically diverse school children with an NGO called EmpowerU. 

Nearly a decade after graduating from HKA, I treasure the skills, values, and ideas that my education gave me, whilst my IB certificate sits gathering dust in some drawer unknown. It’s a piece of paper largely forgotten, frankly. What I do remember is that HKA taught me to be organized. To be a leader. To speak up. To take initiative. To drive change. To volunteer. To live with integrity. To pursue what I wanted to pursue because I wanted to pursue it. To live authentically. To network. To create and build. To innovate. To imagine. To write concisely. Short sentences. Evidently. To be funny. Clearly. To listen, not to what people say, but what people mean. To be curious. Read widely (and wildly). To take risks. Fail. Handle difficult situations. Adjust. Try again. Try differently. 

HKA is defined by its inclusiveness, its willingness to put people first, and teaches students to prioritize their education over their studies. This is a critical distinction, a point largely missed by many educational institutions. I learned this very early on. I’m so glad I did. It’s made a difference. Looking back, I wish I could do it all over again, exactly the same way, with all of the same people.

Class of 2018 Graduate

Ben Hiley

Ben Hiley (’18) graduated from the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in the UK with a first class honours degree and released his first EP in collaboration with artist, Glæcial Heišt. Check out his album on Spotify or YouTube.

Class of 2016 Graduate

Armon Owlia

Armon Owlia (‘16) graduated from Drexel University with a B.A. in Journalism and Certification in Writing and Publishing. A prolific podcaster, Armon launched the podcasting division of Drexel University’s student newspaper, The Triangle. In his podcast, Shadow Gallery Seminars, Armon interviews academic experts and activists in various fields in the hopes of supporting his listeners to create action plans to better our world.

Class of 2013 Graduate

Max Leali

Max Leali (’13) represents Hong Kong in professional Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Shooto and is a martial arts coach in a gym in Sheung Wan. His goal is to compete under “One Championship”, and to continue to represent and grow Hong Kong’s martial arts culture. Please watch our most recent Alumni Portrait video to learn more about Max’s story.

Class of 2019 Graduate

Valeria Riquelme

I joined HKA in Grade 8 and graduated in 2019 with an IB Diploma score of 40. Having a passion for performing arts, and with a view to developing my production skillset, I was thrilled to take an internship at HKA during which time I created and performed my first full theatre production, a one woman show “So I Went”. 

I am currently studying for a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in comparative literature and history at Hong Kong University. Whilst studying for my degree, I also founded a media and arts company, Tinta Ltd, and wrote, directed and produced the short film ‘For Her’ in 2021. My most recent production is a full-length, experimental physical theatre play which I produced and co-edited. At the same time, I developed a business plan and built a team of 40 people to bring the show to life.

As a student and intern at HKA, I learned that team building is at the heart of any successful enterprise. I was given multiple opportunities to build teams and produce content for events such as the Refugee Race and GIN conference. Faculty mentors gave me the space to ideate and coached me on goal setting and building common understanding; they also modelled strong work ethic, positive and timely communication, and helped me develop my professional persona.

My medium term goal is to make Tinta Ltd a leading force in the Hong Kong media and arts landscape. As part of that aspiration, I am continuously looking for ways to create mutually beneficial internships and meaningful opportunities for young people, so they can be exposed to a professional environment and become the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Class of 2019 Graduate

Emily Brenker

Emily Brenker, Class of 2019, earned a first class honours degree, Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Bayes Business School in 2022. Having gained experience of marketing, finance and business management during summer internships she joined J.P. Morgan as a Finance Analyst in 2022.

Class of 2016 Graduate in 2023

Lucas Simpson

I am currently studying a Liberal Arts degree at Birmingham University in the UK. Being a Liberal Arts student means that I can select multiple modules from a broad range of options every semester and build my degree to be very personalised around my strengths and interests. This year I opted for Mandarin, Art History, Urban Planning, Urban Studies and Epistemology. I’m also working on an interdisciplinary core module called ‘Research to Policy’ in which we identify a social issue affecting the population of Birmingham and come up with ways to tackle that issue. At this stage I plan to graduate with a double major and am looking forward to diving into Urban Geography, Urban Anthropology, Ethics & Philosophy modules as well as continuing my Mandarin studies next year.

Completing the IB DP at HKA did wonders for my experience of and ability to handle essay writing, referencing, scheduling and meeting deadlines. I was very well prepared for the rigours of my university academics which means that I have been able to enjoy the transition to independent living and get out to pursue extra-curricular interests and meet people. Each course and department has their own society and the Liberal Arts Society organises meetups, Arts & Crafts events and a year-end ball. The Film Society hosts movie nights and there are regular sales of vintage clothing, plants and records. I am a contributing writer for the student paper, Red Brick, and am also preparing for an upcoming acting role in the Drama Society’s next 48 hour production. Twice a month I join other musicians to jam at the Jazz, Funk and Soul Society night in front of about 200 student fans who come along to every gig. My student accommodation and extra-curricular activities mean that I am meeting people from all over the world and am finding a real sense of belonging in my new community. I can’t wait to begin my second year!