Dr. Ada Cheung’s north star is helping people in ways that also allows her to grow. The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA) recognized the success in Dr. Cheung’s mission and awarded her the Professional Leadership Award, making her one of only two recipients selected from over 150 agencies worldwide.
This award not only recognized Dr. Cheung’s career but also her response to the 2021 Florida condo collapse and the 2025 California wildfires.
As part of her career, the University of Houston alumna and faculty member took the mission of helping people to a next level. In 2021, she worked with the Florida condo collapse, and in 2025, the California wildfires, responding to the immediate calls during both of these crises.
Dr. Cheung is the chief clinical officer at Alexander Jewish Family Service in Houston. The organization focuses on mental health and leadership in human services. This, however, was not how she saw her life panning out.
Her initial career path was to be a travel agent, but then she switched gears to social work, opening her eyes to the fact that travel is possible through people and their stories.
Her focus, however, isn’t just on mental and behavioral health. She cares about total well-being.
“If someone needs food or support, we will give them. No questions asked,” she said.
She added, “People might need some place to stay temporarily, and we open our place in various ways to capture as many people as possible and share resources.”
Dr. Cheung, who graduated from the City University of Hong Kong with a degree in social science before moving to the University of Houston to complete her master’s and Ph.D. in 2006, serves as a great role model for anyone who is looking to lead a life helping people.
As faculty and alumna, the professional mental health specialist also has some advice for students interested in a career like hers.
“My advice would be to open yourself fully to experience, soak in the knowledge, skills, theories and values that your professors and schools provide,” she says. “Give yourself the courage to try as many different opportunities as possible, whether that’s in practice, research or community engagement.”
Her advice extends beyond academia.
“Make time to reflect on what truly resonates with you and where your passion lies,” she says. “Above all, stay humble. There is always more to learn, and the more we grow, the better we can serve others.”
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