Who says studying fashion means you can’t work in environmental protection? A graduating student from the Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering has demonstrated an outstanding example of a “cross-disciplinary transformation.” Chloe Lam, from Hong Kong, displayed remarkable perseverance during her studies at the university. Not only did she accumulate and obtain as many as 21 cross-disciplinary professional certifications, but upon graduation, she will also receive the “Academic Excellence Award” and the “Student Professional Honor Award.” Today, with her solid academic foundation and practical potential, she has taken root in a cross-disciplinary field and has been admitted to the Ph.D. program at the Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University. At the university, she strengthened her professional capabilities and expanded a future blueprint with unlimited possibilities.
Recalling the time when she first came alone from Hong Kong to Taiwan to study, Chloe Lam said with a smile that secondary education in Hong Kong did not divide students into specialized fields. At that time, because of her love for performing, dancing, and musicals, and because she longed for Taiwan with its impression of being full of night market delicacies, she resolutely crossed the sea to pursue her dream and enrolled in the Department of Fashion Performance.
During university, she never set limits on herself and actively tried both on-stage performances and behind-the-scenes planning. In 2022, she shone brightly at the “7th UAPP WPC Asia Alliance World Cup International Fashion Aesthetics Culinary Creative Competition,” winning the championship in the Static Jewelry Bouquet category and the runner-up title in the Static Creative Mask category. At the same time, she obtained certifications such as the Level B Exhibition and Conference Professional Certification and the Level B IEPT International Etiquette Competency Certification, demonstrating her talents in diversified development.
However, at the crossroads of university graduation, as an international student, Chloe Lam also experienced immense anxiety and confusion. At that time, faced with the reality that her residence permit would soon expire after graduation, she once had no idea where her future path would lead.
Fortunately, teachers and mentors at the university extended a helping hand in time. With the strong recommendation and assistance of Vice President Chung Chun-Yen and Executive Director Yeh Chung-Chao of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Institutional Research, Chloe Lam obtained the opportunity to serve as a research assistant for the “Turning Carbon into Gold Net-Zero Project—Low-Carbon Guidance and Support Services for the Metal and Electromechanical Industry.”
During that year of work, she visited factories in person and collected annual carbon inventory emission data, becoming an important link connecting the various divisions of the project. This valuable industry-academia practical experience not only enabled her to gain cross-disciplinary exposure to the popular trend of green energy and carbon reduction, but also planted the seed in her heart to shift toward environmental engineering.
After working for one year, Chloe Lam resolutely decided to return to campus and challenge herself in a completely new field by enrolling in the Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering. Faced with entirely unfamiliar engineering regulations and technologies related to sustainable development and environmental policy, she admitted that it was a major challenge. However, she demonstrated an iron-willed spirit of “asking whenever I don’t understand, reviewing immediately after returning home, and taking thorough notes in class,” while using “importance” and “deadlines” to prioritize tasks.
When preparing for certifications, she also had her own unique approach: “I first understand the overall framework before memorizing the details, and I use tables and flowcharts to help myself absorb rigid regulations and technical terminology.”
Relying on this learning method, she successfully obtained a number of professional recognitions closely aligned with sustainability trends, including the Ministry of Environment’s “Level A Net-Zero Green-Collar Talent Training Qualification Certificate,” the “Level B Indoor Air Quality Maintenance and Management Specialist Certificate,” the “ISO 14067 Greenhouse Gas Product Carbon Footprint” certification, and the “Certificate of Completion for the Basic Corporate Sustainability Elite Training Program.”
In addition, her learning extended into diverse fields such as the “TQC Artificial Intelligence Applications and Technologies – Advanced Level B,” the “Sustainable Finance Certification – Basic Competency Certificate Level C,” the “Ministry of Labor Forklift Operator Technician Certificate Level C,” and the “ISO 9001 Internal Auditor Training Level C.” She accumulated a total of 21 certifications, becoming a true certification expert.
During her master’s studies, she not only maintained outstanding academic performance but also worked part-time at the Career Development Center, assisting with programs supporting international students staying in Taiwan. This part-time job helped cultivate her communication and adaptability skills at an early stage and taught her to think from other people’s perspectives.
Even more commendably, she rediscovered her strengths in fashion and challenged herself by serving as the host of major campus events, including last December’s “World Christmas Star Dance Night and Talent Competition” and this April’s Campus Recruitment Fair, demonstrating a confident charm that was both dynamic and graceful.
Having successfully transformed herself at the university, Chloe Lam’s heart is filled with gratitude. She especially thanked Vice President Chung Chun-Yen, Executive Director Yeh Chung-Chao, and Career Development Center Director Chiu Wei-Cheng for their support and mentorship throughout the journey, as well as Professor Hsu Hui-Lin, Dean of the College of Engineering and Chair of the Department of Environmental Engineering, for her dedicated guidance, and her friends for their warm companionship.
Chloe Lam said, “You only live once. There are many things worth trying. If you succeed, they become your achievements; even if you fail, it is not a big deal. What matters is seeing a different version of yourself through the process.”
Using her own motto, she encouraged all younger students with similar backgrounds: on this inclusive and resource-rich fertile ground of the university, as long as one is willing to bravely step out of one’s comfort zone, everyone can, just like her, tear away existing labels and find a stage of their own on which to shine.
