Ka Wing Chu:
 Powering HKIS

It’s quite typical of HKIS staff to be shy and uncomfortable when a spotlight shines on them, and interviewing Ka Wing Chu about his nearly 30 years of service as an electrician at HKIS was no different.

Ka Wing Chu joined HKIS in the Facilities Management Department 29 years ago after answering an advertisement in the newspaper. He did not expect that would be the start of nearly 3 decades of service to the school.

A typical day for Ka Wing Chu requires a lot of flexibility, resilience and collaboration. His tasks revolve around a ticketing system that directs his team to the most urgent electrical needs, sometimes around something as crucial as repairing a broken air-conditioner in a classroom. He can be effusively humble about his role, but there is nothing to take lightly about keeping the lights on at HKIS and the classrooms cool! If challenges arise, he says he turns to his colleagues to troubleshoot and come up with a solution together. Many members of the community have seen Ka Wing’s handiwork because he is in charge of a very important annual project – the lighting of the Christmas tree in the High School plaza. There wouldn’t be much of a tree lighting without…lights! He really enjoys helping set up community events like this because there is a clear impact on HKIS.

When asked about the impact of HKIS on his life, Ka Wing thanked the school for hiring him and giving him the opportunity to work here for so long as a means to consistently support his family. A smile appears across his face when he talks about the camaraderie of his team, a collaborative group of coworkers who have felt like a second family to him. He will also miss his team leaders who were always supportive and helpful.