A TOP KWC MEMBER IS HONOURED – Press Release
1999 KWC/JA MEMBER OF THE YEAR – HERMAN WONG
Herman Wong, graduate of Bayview Secondary School in Richmond Hill, and one of our longest-standing contributing members, has recently been accepted to the University of Waterloo where he will be studying mathematics and computers. Herman has been involved in community outreach and promoting public awareness of social and environmental issues since grade eight. On March 31,1999 Herman received a Celebrating Student Success award in the form of a photo poster from York Region Board of Education for his many humanitarian and educational technology contributions. Herman has been nominated for a national Harmony Movement Scholarship towards his university studies. We will know the results by October, 1999.
In 1992-1993, I was Herman’s grade eight homeroom teacher at Doncrest Public School in Richmond Hill. At that time, he was one of our top academic students, across the curriculum, graduating with many awards, obtaining a first class honours standing which he has maintained in all subject areas throughout high school. Now an Ontario Scholar and recipient of the Computers Award in his OAC year at Bayview Secondary, throughout his academic career, Herman has displayed a solid balance of academics and extracurricular involvement.
He was involved in many community outreach projects through Dancers for Race Relations, Doncrest Dancers for the Environment which expanded, upon his graduation from Doncrest Public School to Bayview Secondary, to Dancers for Harmony. Herman was involved in over 41 public performances all over the greater metro Toronto area and as far north as the Snake Island Pow Wow near Georgina, on Lake Simcoe. He has been instrumental in helping meet the needs of women and children in women’s shelters, and young mothers and their babies at teen pregnancy crisis centres such as Rose of Sharon in Newmarket. This extracurricular activity continued with involvement in Care Bears based at William Berczy Public School, a teacher-led, student-supported organization to "Kids Who Care" a student-initiated, student-led organization with its very own Website at
http://www.interlog.com/~kidscare.During the decade that I have known him, Herman has continued to be involved in goodwill projects. This year, he is the contact person at Bayview Secondary School for the "Kids Who Care" have a heart campaign in which prizes are raffled off with the proceeds going to support two children from Guatemala whom KWC is sponsoring through "World Vision" at $58 per month, Sandgate Women’s Shelter (Jackson’s Point) , The Yellow Brick House (Aurora) and the Pregnancy Crisis Centre ( Markham) These three organizations serve all of York Region. I am also highly aware of Herman’s volunteer work as an escort, x-ray technician and critical care worker at York Central Hospital. In addition to this, since 1996, he has been a math tutor working with young and old alike, since 1996 at Kumon Inc.
Herman is particularly skilled in technological applications. In grade eight he created excellent radio and media lab productions using complicated systems borrowed from the board, participated in the space program at the Ontario Science Centre and in lego robotics programming up at Lego Dacta Canada. He returned to Doncrest P.S. after school in Grade nine to tutor some of my students on the use of the media lab for reorganizing segments, using voice over and creating sound effects. This early-gained experience and expertise eventually led to his active involvement in the Communication Technology room (video editing lab) at Bayview Secondary.
Herman has also worked ever since grade nine as a technical assistant for his father, first at Maxibytes, Richmond Hill, and then at Richmond Hill Computer Inc., where his natural skill for software and programming applications has been put to solid use. For instance, he wrote programs to help other Maxibyte stores resolve problems encountered with "invoicing" software.
When Herman was in grade ten, computer teachers taught computer programming basis, using a theoretical programming language called ZAP which involved pure, tedious, time-consuming paper work without any hands-on use of a computer. At that time, for his own use, Herman wrote a program to bring that "theoretical programming language" to life. His creation allowed him to double check whether his assignments were done correctly and finish his work in half the time it normally took to write by hand.
Teachers and administrators soon recognized Herman’s talents. Herman currently uses his word processing skills to help one of his geography teachers type out work. His ZAP "interpreter" is now used in the Gr. 11computer class at Bayview Secondary to help teach students the basics of programming. Herman also helped revive the long lost Computer Club in Bayview back in Gr. 10. As a result, his high school participated in programming contests, placing third in York Region last year. Herman helped school office install computer equipment and software as well as set up the computers and some of the equipment down in the library and guidance departments, helping correct problems. In a contest hosted by ATI Technologies Inc., Herman came in second. Subsequently he was offered a contract job at ATI.
Herman Wong won the grade eight Math Award at Doncrest P.S. He joined the Math League in gr.9-gr.10 to compete against other schools. Apparently, after gr. 10, the math club was cancelled, possibly due to lack of funding. He participated in the Gauss Math contests in grades seven and eight in has participated in the Waterloo math contests since grade nine. Since grade eleven, he joined the Math Club to write more math contests. At Bayview Secondary, Herman helped tutor other math students in grade 12. He continues to be an invaluable asset to Kumon Math Inc. as a math tutor.
Herman Wong, one of the original "Dancers for Harmony" is a highly respected, responsible, resourceful individual of the highest degree of integrity. A truly positive leader, Herman is a living role model of positive youth leadership. He gives us a glimpse of the world as it could be and should. I wonder how much safer and happier the world would be if many others followed in his footsteps of selfless service to the greater good or created their own paths of peace. Like a pebble dropped in a pond, sending out concentric circles, everything we do has an impact somewhere. In respect of Hermans’ heritage and many humble contributions, I add the following adaptation of a well-known Chinese poem about harmony:
If there is harmony in the heart, there will be harmony in the individual.
If there is harmony in the individual, there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home, there will be harmony in the community.
If there is harmony in the community, there will be harmony in the region.
If there is harmony in the region, there will be harmony in the province or state.
If there is harmony in the state, there will be harmony in the country.
If there is harmony in each country, there will be harmony in the world.
If we want peace on earth, each of us must become a peacemaker.
Like the song says "Let there be peace on Earth, at let it begin with me."
Sincerely, YD, Guide on the Side,
York Region District School Board #16
[email protected]