Most of us are told when we are little children that we should dream big, because our dreams can come true. But as we get older, we get more and more involved in school work, exams and gaining a foothold on the lower steps of a "safe" career with good prospects. Our dreams often disappear into the air, especially if they are unconventional, and we dismiss them as the imaginings of a childish mind.

But what happens if you do decide to follow your dreams? Here we talk to three HKUST alumni who have taken unusual turns in their careers. Terence Pang and Carrie Tang, followed traditional career paths – one in IT and one in accounting – before seemingly risking much to follow their passions of photography and social enterprise, respectively. The other, Warren Lee, was a child musical prodigy who realized that he needed to reinforce his musical talents with more conventional business skills in order to make the most of himself.