Inspires Future Leaders to Build a Better Self for Tomorrow

By RYLA Chair PP Anita Chan (Siu Bak), Rotary Club of Victoria

The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) 2025-2026 was successfully held from May 1st to 3rd, 2026. The event coincided perfectly with Rotary International’s “Youth Service Month,” which is celebrated every May to emphasize Rotary’s commitment to empowering young people. Under clear skies, 15 promising RYLArians from diverse academic and professional backgrounds embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime journey of self-discovery and leadership development.

This year’s camp theme was “F.U.T.U.R.E.,” an acronym representing Fellowship, Understanding, Technology, United for Good (Rotary theme 2025-2026), Resilience, and Empowerment. The program was designed to challenge, nurture and inspire the young leaders. The activities included high-event challenges that pushed them to their personal breakthroughs and a solo evening walk designed for quiet self-reflection, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones.

Besides, the guest sharing session by Ms. Kelena Poon, who spoke about her personal experience as a “slasher,” navigating a multifaceted career was another highlight of the programme. She shared about her “slasher” journey, guided the RYLArians in building resilience and finding value across multiple identities, how she handles external feedback, and the importance of finding a balance between social media presence and offline reality. For Day 2, RYLArians enjoyed the team scavenger hunt game around the campsite in the morning and then the social enterprise, Eldpathy has hosted an off campsite stimulation workshop on ageing in the afternoon at Tai Wo Estate. This experience allowed RYLArians to step into the shoes of the elderly, experiencing firsthand the daily difficulties they face. This workshop aimed to foster empathy and inspire the RYLArians to think about creating a more inclusive society. The camp culminated in group presentations where RYLArians were tasked with addressing a social issue in Hong Kong with a set budget and a four-year timeline.

A key moment of the event was the selection of the Best RYLArian. The process began with each of the three teams voting for one member who best represented the spirit of RYLA. The three chosen candidates then faced a distinguished judging panel composed of the District Youth Service Chair PP Regan Ho, Rtn Alex Tsang from Rotary Club of Central, Gold Sponsor of RYLA, and the RYLA Chair PP Anita Chan (Siu Bak). The panel posed questions about leadership, prompting the candidates to reflect on their learnings throughout the camp and articulate their leadership qualities. After thoughtful deliberation, Gemma Ng was selected as the Best RYLArian 2025-2026. Looking forward, it is with great anticipation that Gemma and her fellow RYLArians will pass on the RYLA spirit and demonstrate exceptional leadership in their future endeavours.

As the program concluded, the hope is that all RYLArians not only enjoyed the experience but also forged lasting friendships and are now better equipped to build a brighter future for themselves and the community. Heartfelt gratitude is extended to all sponsoring Rotary Clubs for their invaluable support. A huge thank you also goes to the dedicated helpers and past RYLArians who visited the camp to meet and interact with the new participants, creating a strong and supportive network.

Heartfelt thanks to Rotary Club Sponsors and RYLA F.U.T.U.R.E Crew:

Gold Sponsor

• Rotary Club of Central
• Rotary Club of Kowloon

Bronze Sponsor

• Rotary Club of Harmony and Prosperity Hong Kong
• Rotary Club of Hong Kong Financial Centre
• Rotary Club of Peacebuilders Central Harbourfront Hong Kong
• Rotary Club of Peninsula
• Rotary Club of Star Avenue
• Rotary Club of The HUB Hong Kong
• Rotary Club of Victoria
• Rotary Club of Wanchai

RYLA F.U.T.U.R.E Crew

• Anita CHAN
• Jennifer CHIU
• Thomas HO
• Daniel KAM
• Kevina KWONG
• Dicky LAU
• Krista LAU
• Agnes LEE
• Jay LEUNG
• Phoebe NG
• Leslie TSOI
• WONG Sze Yiu
• William WU
• Amanda YAM