[30 April 2026]
Since 1991, Mrs. Heung-lan Yim-Chan 嚴陳香蘭 has been more than the keeper of our tennis court keys or the organiser of our notices. She has been the “Mother” of Ricci Hall. Through decades of freshmen’s jitters and alumni’s triumphant returns, she has remained our familiar face behind the front desk, a gentle presence in our corridors, and a quiet witness to the unfolding stories of Ricci Hall.
Ricci Hall is built on moments, and Mrs. Yim has been a witness to most of them. She has seen us arrive as nervous freshmen, watched us stumble and celebrate victories on the pitch, and seen us grow—year by year—from boys into men.
But perhaps the greatest gift she has given us is the gift of memory. For Mrs. Yim does not merely see us; she remembers us. She remembers the quiet ones who found their voice, the mischievous ones who discovered their direction, and the homesick ones who, in time, came to call Ricci their home.
And now, in a full-circle moment that fills us with deep gratitude, she bears witness to the next generation. With a knowing smile, she watches as a former hallmate, now a father, walks beneath the same arches with a young child in tow. She recognises the same spark in the child’s eyes, the quiet, shy curiosity she once saw years ago – and, with a single heartfelt sentence, bridges past and present: “I remember your father when he was just your age.”
For that, Mrs. Yim, we cannot thank you enough. Thank you for decades of patient service, for the quiet morning greetings, and for the way you have knit this place together through every season. Thank you for remembering our names, our stories—and now, so tenderly, our families.
You have not just worked in Ricci Hall for 35 years. You have cared for it. You have been our witness, our historian, and our second mother. You have created a legacy in this place.
Author:
Mr. Julian Ronson Chu 朱朗迅 (BA Student)
Contributors:
Dr. Nixon T.H. Leung 梁迭起 (BSc 2014, MEd 2015, PhD 2024)
Mr. Marcus C.H. Wong 黃晉爔 (BA Student)
Mr. Bryan Y.C. Chan 陳翊俊 (Alumnus)
