When Bernice Antoine decided to do a semester abroad in Hong Kong, she expected to be challenged by the cultural differences she’d experience. She welcomed it, in fact. She was looking forward to immersing herself in the Chinese culture because, as a native to Trinidad and Tobago—home to a sizeable population of Chinese immigrants—she wanted to experience the culture that had influenced her own.

She didn’t expect, however, to be presenting a TEDx Talk in the final weeks of her semester in Hong Kong.

Doing a TEDx Talk had always been a dream of hers, but it didn’t seem like it could be a reality until she enrolled in a “Speaking like a TEDx Speaker” course while at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where she was studying. To her, the class was a sign that the time was right. So she started doing some digging and sought out the universities nearby that would be hosting TEDx Talks, found the TEDx team running the event (“naturally as a Gen Z, I decided to DM them on Instagram”), and through a series of conversations and connections, sent in her material and was accepted as a speaker for the last date she’d be available before leaving Hong Kong.

“It was honestly just by the grace of God because they were looking for one more speaker, and I came at just the right moment, so it was perfect,” she shares.

While her TEDx Talk was certainly a highlight, it was one of many for Bernice. One of her goals for this study abroad semester was to “experience being an international student all over again” She wanted to test what she’d learned and see how it applied in a different setting. For Bernice, it wasn’t just about taking a trip to a new place she’d never been. Her semester in Hong Kong was about intentionally seeking out a new culture and immersing herself in it to grow and challenge herself.

Her enrichment in Hong Kong went beyond attending classes at CUHK. Through getting connected with the Notre Dame Club in Hong Kong, she was able to explore the city through locals’ eyes.

“To see such a vibrant community of Notre Dame in Hong Kong was really inspiring,” she says, sharing that “they took us out, they showed us the ropes, and were involved and engaged with us.” She formed a strong friendship with one of the ND parents who took her out on a boat ride and even invited her to church. Recalling the experience, Bernice shares, “The church was in Cantonese, so she was helping me translate everything. I really felt embraced and loved in that moment.”

Notre Dame Hong Kong Director Catherine Leung also stepped in to support Bernice when she wanted to organize a sustainability initiative to collect clothes, bedding, and food from exchange students who would be leaving them behind, and donate them to the local homeless shelter. “Catherine helped me phenomenally with organizing that initiative—for her to say “yes” even though she’s extremely busy being the director of Hong Kong, that was a really big moment for me.”

The support from the local Notre Dame community in Hong Kong is demonstrative of something Bernice was told when she was first deciding to apply to Notre Dame: it’s not a four-year decision, it’s a forty-year decision. “I got to see that play out in real life,” she shares.

Originally published by Jessie Carson at hongkong.nd.edu on June 13, 2025.