Jason Ng reflection

By Jason Ng

When I was in 2nd grade, I witnessed a man coming into our classroom every once in a while handing out papers to Ms. Chan, and then leave without a word. On the last day of that school year, that same man came in, but this time he actually spoke. 

He told us that starting in 3rd grade, we would be able to participate in this program called St. Mary’s Athletics. At first, I thought playing sports was pretty cool.  But I never would have thought that this man, The Person, better known as Mr. Bryan Cheung, would change both the school and the lives of many here at St. Mary’s.

A few weeks back, we were given an assignment to write an essay about an event that changed our personal values and beliefs. I decided to write about my 7th grade basketball playoff game. That game gave me the punch I needed to prove to myself that I do have the potential and ability in making a big shot or achieving other goals in life. We were tied in the final minutes and I was able to drive to the basket and make the big shot. So the recap is…no basketball…no playoff game, no playoff game…no big shot, no big shot…no life lesson punch. 

Throughout my entire career, I mainly focused on basketball. That was the sport that I wanted to play day and night, 24/7. My love for basketball had begun with Bryan encouraging us to form a team and compete with other schools. I continued to play basketball with the guys until now. Today, I am beyond thankful for those opportunities.

I’m sure that most of you have known me as a person who only played basketball. Honestly, I wished I could’ve done more. Growing up at St. Mary’s, my parents were very busy with their jobs and I never got the full support of playing another sport besides basketball. For those of you who are reading this and have the complete support of your parents in playing more than one sport, take that opportunity. Playing sports builds not only muscle and strength, but also character, values and friendships. You don’t want to be looking back at your time here at school and wondering about what you may have missed.

I never knew sports and athletics would impact my life this much. I thought of it mostly as just being able to hang out more with friends and being able to consistently stay fit. But basketball also gave me confidence in my work and ability, helped me learn about respect and build on my leadership experience.

Sadly, as a member of the Class of 2014, we are the last graduating class to participate in the Bryan Cheung era. It has been an honor and blessing to have Bryan as the Athletic Director during our time here at St. Mary’s.  I told Mr. Cheung this before and I’ll say it again. I always wondered what I would be like if Bryan never came to St. Mary’s. I’m pretty sure that I would have turned into a full out nerd, but luckily that didn’t happen.

I love you Bryan and for all the miracles that you have brought to this school. Good luck on your future endeavors. St. Mary’s was given a blessing the second Bryan took that job.

I would like to thank all of you who contributed to my successes and helped me on my journey to become great. Without the support and love of my classmates, coaches, parents, and friends, I would probably be a nerd who works only on homework just goes home every day. Basketball has given me another life outside of school and I consider this a blessing. 

Well, that’s the story of my life (my St. Mary’s career and Raymond’s favorite song). You all have a special place in my heart and I hope that my experiences will inspire you to do great things just like me. 

I love you all!!! 

All of you have the potential to make a positive impact on the people you come across, and hopefully, they’ll continue the chain. 

- Jason Ng