Christina Ho – Flying High

By Dr Renée Ralph, Co-Founder, The Brilliant Foundation

HONG KONG- Christina Ho fluent in Mandarin, English and Cantonese loves creating things as a child and still does, drawing her cartoon mascot cat, christtina_meow offering positive messages to the world.

Christina HO at TEDX TinHau Women 2022

Christina with her mum

As a child, her curiosity, whims and fancies were nurtured by her mother. Christina acknowledges that her mother is her strength who continuously supports her in her teenage years and adult life.

Renée: “Your parents are quite unique in this sense especially from the Asian culture.”

Christina replied: “ Saying that……my parents are still traditional parents. As a child, I asked “Why?” a lot. I always took a while to do my homework. I am their eldest daughter, number one in the family.”

“My Mum is a nurse. I am very proud of Mum serving the community during SARS and COVID-19. Dad is retired already. My Mum gave me a lot of support and confidence to do whatever I wanted to do.”

When the time came, after schooling, her mother’s kind heart gave her the confidence to ask whether she could go abroad to study. “My Parents thought I was joking about it and maybe they thought I was too young for it. However, my parents were too poor and they didn’t have the money to send me abroad.”

Christina found other avenues for her quest to study abroad. She started researching on the Internet for other schools and universities overseas. Finally, after several applications, an interview and a presentation …… Christina was awarded a scholarship to study in the United States.

Remembering the moment when she got the scholarship, she said: “I asked my mum whether I could go. As traditional parents, it was hard for them, but they finally said “Yes”. I am very grateful to my parents that they said yes. If they said no, it would have changed my life and I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

Fashion Designer at United States of America

Christiana decided to pursue a career in the Arts in America. “I did something different,” says Christina. “I enrolled in an Arts degree and it took me 5 years to complete. I graduated in design, fashion design and fashion industry. I completed fashion illustrations, tried different classes and when I completed my degree, I went into the workforce for a couple of years”. A vast juxtaposition to the usual medicine, law and commerce as all Asian daughters are meant to pursue.