May Yuk Chui, a Hong Kong immigrant who had been a guidance counselor for 25 years at the CPC PS20 Elementary School’s afterschool program and later worked as a teaching assistant at a public elementary school, decided to challenge herself at the age of 55 by returning to a university campus. She enrolled in the Early Childhood Education Master’s program at Queens College and after 18 months of rigorous studying, she successfully earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education.
On the day of her graduation ceremony on May 30th, May Yuk Chui, as a representative of the Master’s graduates, took the stage to receive her degree and the blessings from Principal Frank Wu. Her son and former director of the CPC’s Early Childhood Education Center in Queens, Lois Lee, attended her graduation ceremony to congratulate her on this remarkable achievement.
May Yuk Chui recounted her journey, mentioning that when she immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong in 1992, due to her qualifications, she could only find basic jobs. However, an opportunity arose for her to join the CPC’s afterschool program, where she became an assistant to Lois Lee. She obtained her Early Childhood Development undergraduate certificate from the State University of New York in 2009 and began working as a teaching assistant at PS20 Elementary School in 2013. With her son now grown and a more stable financial situation, she decided to pursue her dream of further education during the pandemic, saying, “It’s been 13 years since I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, and I felt it was time to move on to my master’s.”
It was her son, who was studying education at Queens College, who encouraged May Yuk Chui to return to school, saying, “He told me to go for it, that it would be tough. When I asked how tough, he said, ‘Just enroll, and you’ll find out.’ It was my son who inspired me.”
Returning to school at the age of over 50 to pursue her master’s degree presented May Yuk Chui with challenges, with language being one of the major hurdles. Fortunately, she had her son’s frequent assistance to help her through. She praised the professors at Queens College, saying, “They are always willing to help students outside of class, never minding if students approach them with questions. At yesterday’s graduation, one of my professors jokingly remarked that the ‘worst mistake’ he made was giving us his phone number, haha.”
During her master’s studies, May Yuk Chui obtained her teacher’s license, and she has since transitioned to working as a substitute teacher for the education department.
Lois Lee presented May Yuk Chui with a medal inscribed with words of praise: “Starting from humble beginnings from Hong Kong to the United States, May Yuk Chui tirelessly pursued higher education while raising a family, obtaining an associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree. She ultimately became a certified teacher in the state of New York, serving others with kindness and selflessness. Her journey not only proves her sincerity and determination but also inspires Asian-Americans to embrace change, making the world a better place for children. May Yuk Chui, you inspire us to dare to make a difference.”