From youth leadership training to becoming a barrister-at-law, Federation alumnus Stephanie Lam shares her unique life journey as a lesson to keep exploring.
Strolling by a café in Hong Kong’s Fanling district one April afternoon, Stephanie Lam was transported back to her 16-year-old self. Before her stood the former Fanling Magistracy, now the HKFYG Leadership Institute. Its roots literally changed the trajectory of her life and plans.
Finding Her Way
Stephanie went to Brisbane when she was 16 as part of a youth exchange programme run by HKFYG’s Leadership 21, the leadership centre being run at that time by the Federation. Then, on completion of her undergraduate degree at Chicago’s Northwestern University, she returned to Hong Kong and was offered a role training students in one of the leadership programmes offered by the centre.
“Back then, I was still figuring out what career I wanted to do for my career and the leadership centre was growing,” Stephanie recalls. “The policy analysis element of the job interested me, so I thought: ‘Why not?’”
When she first started work, all Stephanie’s colleagues were her teachers and trainers from high school. “It really was a full circle moment.” She credits her mentor, James Mok, then the centre’s director, with broadening her understanding of what it meant to be an effective trainer.
“I learnt that you don’t just give students information in black and white, nor do you tell them what they should do. You need to be very observant; you need to ask questions, and not just spoon-feed them. You need to inspire them from the inside out,” she shares.
This lesson shaped her approach to working with young people and her relationships with students often grew into lasting friendships. “Two students were bridesmaids at my wedding,” she smiles, “so you can tell what good friends we were.”
“We all went through a stage where we watched Hong Kong evolve and progress. We were very fortunate to be involved, either as students or trainers, at a time when we could look at social issues, discuss them very openly and do things that made an impact on society,” she adds.
During her two-year tenure at Leadership 21, Stephanie was able to contribute to proposals that eventually laid the foundations for today’s Leadership Institute in Fanling. She also had rare access to top government officials and was given latitude to pursue projects beyond the scope of her job.
One of the most important lessons she learnt was that leadership training should not be reserved for high achievers. “It’s for everyone, even the quiet student in the corner. You never know who they’ll become in five or ten years’ time.”
From Leadership to Law
Empowering young people to understand social issues and contribute to building a better Hong Kong became her guiding star. With that vision in mind, Stephanie moved onto to pursue a master’s degree in International Relations, hoping to enter public service. However, on completing her master’s degree, instead of joining the government she was accepted into the University of Hong Kong’s Juris Doctor programme, a two-year full-time law degree for students without prior legal education.
Because of the experience she had gained in policy analysis and leadership training in her first job at the Federation, Stephanie had a better understanding of Hong Kong’s social issues. “I wanted to pursue a career that could impact society. That is why I chose law. Being a lawyer does not mean you can solve all problems, but I think lawyers can play a very important part in society and can contribute to keeping it civilized and functioning. At best, it’s possible to ensure everyone has access to recourse, representation and justice,” she says.
Stephanie became a barrister-at-law in 2014 and has been in legal practice since then. In 2024, she added family mediation accreditation to her credentials as a general mediator, blending her legal expertise with the interpersonal skills she first honed as a youth trainer. “Sitting with people who initially can’t even speak to each other, and helping them reach a resolution feels surprisingly rewarding and pleasantly different from the contentious litigation in the courtroom,” she explains.
She credits her mediation ability to her time at the leadership centre where she says she developed crucial communication skills. “From day one, when I was asked to work there, I never thought it would open so many doors or inspire me to do other things.”
A Journey Still Unfolding
To her, life’s unexpected twists and turns are all valuable experiences that have led her to where she is now. She rejects the idea of sticking to one fixed pathway in life and staying within a comfort zone as if in a “vacuum,” cutting oneself off from the real world. “Life is too short to just settle, and it’s really boring if you do just one thing for your entire life. I don’t think it’s healthy,” she continues, adding that people can learn and grow even in their 70s or 80s, as long as they have an open mind and are ready to try new things.
Looking back on her own journey, she can see how her path has been anything but linear. From leadership training to the court, she sees her career as a series of unexpected yet meaningful turns of lifelong exploration. “I never thought the law would be my final destination,” she admits. “And even now, I’m still exploring.”
For young people who feel uncertain about their future, Stephanie offers honest encouragement. “There will be times when you don’t know what to do next or you will doubt your decisions,” she says. “But if you work hard and give your best, even if the outcome isn’t what you hoped for, your time is never wasted.”
Her take on life is simple: stay hopeful, be brave, and keep trying. She believes life is like a metamorphosis, where you constantly evolve in search of purpose. “Sometimes it involves abandoning everything you think you’ve been working for, just to find your passion. I think the greatest thing is to find something you’re good at and passionate about, and make a positive impact on others. If you can align those three, that’s the luckiest thing in the world.” ■
Stephanie Lam is currently a barrister-at-law and a general mediator at Denis Chang’s Chambers. A former participant in activities at the Federation’s then Leadership 21, she has since been actively involved in leadership training at the now HKFYG Leadership Institute.