Four years of study are drawing to a close for Rainbow Zhang, final year student of the Bachelor of Education (Languages) programme - four years Rainbow describes as "most fulfilling and satisfying".

A highlight of her fulfilment was success, in February 2005, in the AIA Quest for the Champion Communicator 2005. The quest, organised by the Association of International Accountants, attracted the cream of sixteen universities in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau as contestants. Rainbow outshone them all. Her composure, her oratory skills and her proficiency in English and Putonghua, finally won her the championship.

Modest and polite in manner, petite, even rather fragile-looking in appearance, Rainbow's strong performance might come as a surprise to those who meet her for the first time. Not until she entered HKIEd was her latent interest in public performance ignited. Her lack of confidence forbade Rainbow from ever dreaming of winning in open competition. When she was a freshman however, Rainbow jumped at the chance of taking part in a speech contest when a HKIEd lecturer issued an invitation. She underwent training in public speaking before the competition. Her coach noted that she was "a young lady full of desire to express herself publicly" and encouraged her to hone her skill in this area. Once her potential in public speaking was discovered by the teaching staff, the mentorship and training she received helped Rainbow to build up her confidence and skills in recitation, public speaking and debate. In 2003, she took a leading role in the highly acclaimed student production of Pinter's "A Night Out", an experience she repeated this year in the English Department production of "Ernie's Incredible Illucination."