Alumna
Alia Eyres is the CEO of Mother’s Choice in Hong Kong, a charity serving pregnant teenagers and the many children here who don’t have families. Her parents were two of the four founders of Mother’s Choice and her maternal grandparents were missionaries, so it’s clear that the family’s compassion for the underprivileged has rubbed off on her.
Along with her siblings, Alia grew up volunteering at Mother’s Choice, and in 2012 she willingly gave up her previous career as a corporate lawyer in New York and Hong Kong to take on the challenging role as CEO of the organization.
When Alia was a student at HKIS, the school’s focus on service learning was a big influence on her. “My mom, who taught at HKIS when I was little, and my teachers, including Ms. Zella Talbot and Dr. Marty Schmidt, were so passionate about teaching the obligation to serve others – service became a big part of school and life. That gave me the desire to give back to my community,” she said.
Her example has made a big impression on current HKIS student India Soranson Way ’19, who commented, “Alia has inspired me with her kindness and dedication to give back to the Hong Kong community, to use my compassion to help others in need and to lead a life that’s less focused on myself and more focused on others. She is a strong female role model who is a mother, CEO, lawyer, and athlete who has taught me that there are many paths of a person. Whatever path we take, kindness and compassion are an essential part of the journey.”