I Am Not a Label, I Am Gary

An abused child. A tattooed gangster. A Boys’ Town resident. A punk rock chef. A camp leader. A speaker and facilitator. A recipient of LKY Model Student Award. A tuition teacher. A trainee social worker. Gary is all of these.

In this memoir, Gary recounts the events of his life with sincerity and in a straightforward way, from his childhood to present day. It details his transformation from an at-risk youth with criminal involvement into a promising young man seeking to build a career and pursue his dreams. In sharing his experiences, he also offers his thoughts about discrimination, empathy and its importance in relating to at-risk youths, as well as his experience of abuse and how it may be prevented.

Can delinquents change and turn over a new leaf? Gary’s story is an example of not only the possibility of transformation, but of drawing on past mistakes to fortify one’s attitude and dreams of a better society.

About the Author

Gary Lau grew up in a broken family, dropped out of school and was, for a period in his life, influenced by peers involved in crime. He ended up in Singapore Boys' Home and then Boys’ Town. Determined to change for the better, he studied for the N-levels while working in Eighteen Chefs. His journey has led him to the Institute of Technical Education and then Nanyang Polytechnic, where he graduated as one of the best-performing students of his cohort. In his spare time, Gary also runs Happy Children Happy Future, a free tuition programme for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Thankful for the support of many people at various stages in his life, Gary aims to become a registered social worker, to help other at-risk youths and to make Singapore a more loving society.