Embracing Changes, Cherishing Memories
——Speech at the 2024 Senior High School Graduation Ceremo
Dear graduates of the Class of 2024, dear fellow scholars, parents, esteemed members of the board, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends.
Through the ages and across the vast lands, with a future as boundless as the sea, the journey ahead is long. Dear graduates of the Class of 2024, today, leaders, elders, teachers, and peers are gathered here for one purpose only – to share in this solemn celebration with you! Witnessing this exciting moment of your high school graduation!
At this moment, my heart is filled with honor, gratitude, and anticipation. I am deeply privileged to be a part of the Dipont Education family and to witness and address the Class of 2024 graduation ceremony alongside colleagues.
Dear group leaders, thank you for your steadfast belief in high-quality international education and your strong leadership and support. I appreciate your unwavering commitment to nurturing future young leaders and outstanding global citizens, making it your foremost mission.
Dear Carol, Thank you for the culture you have established as the founding principal of Huayao Collegiate. The seeds of hope you have sown here will grow into towering trees, and the blossoms nurtured will bear abundant fruits. All the trials will eventually bloom with brilliance, and all dreams will come true as planned.
Dear parents, Next, I would like to express my respect to you.
Huayao Collegiate practices the ultimate personalized holistic education, with the mission of "Empowering extraordinary scholars to succeed anywhere ". Thank you for choosing Huayao Collegiate and entrusting your children to us. Behind this trust is a profound recognition of our school's philosophy and a deep affinity with our school's culture. It has been proven that your choice was incredibly right. Because your children have already blossomed at HC.
Thank you for the foundation we have collectively built, and the synergy we have created together. Families and schools are the nurturing grounds for children's growth, their spiritual homes. In this nurturing environment, we sow hope together, forge dreams together, nurture growth together, and witness glory together. Yes, we feel deeply honored because the children bring such joy, understanding, and inspiration. They rise like the morning sun, adorned with rays of light. We are incredibly fortunate to educate and guide them. Here, they have found their path to self-development, and they have embraced strong beliefs in their future. Let us together bless them; they are the stars of tomorrow, the stars of the future.
Dear scholars, I would also like to express my gratitude to all of you.
Since I arrived at HC three months ago, I have been deeply moved. Nearly everyone here, except Dr. Prichett, has been at HC longer than I have. You all have a deep understanding of the school's culture and quality, to the extent that this atmosphere has become a tradition at Huayao Collegiate. However, throughout my entire career as an educator dedicated to innovating talent development in foundational education, I have never met a community with such a unique character, and scholars as distinctively different as you.
What I see is a community full of multiculturalism and inclusive understanding. Teachers and scholars from different countries with different skin colors stroll casually through every corner of the campus, engaging warmly with each other. In classrooms, you gather in circles, passionately discussing various academic topics. In the hallways, you eagerly pursue teachers to delve into curious questions. On the playground, you practice various skills together. In the laboratory, foreign teachers demonstrate earnestly while Chinese teaching fellows provide explanations from the side when needed.
What I see is a community where scholars truly stand at the center of the campus. Whether it's the weekly flag-raising ceremony, daily morning meetings, regular sharing sessions, or large-scale events like Sports Week, Creative Arts Week, drama performances, and talent shows, I have witnessed every moment of your talents blossoming. I can feel the immense energy you bring to HC, and every teacher, both local and international, beside me applauds and admires the miracles you create.
What I see is a community that expects, cares for, and supports each other. I see a community that "Dare to seek and soar beyond". Living in such a community, each of us feels happiness and warmth. I see a community full of hope for tomorrow, brimming with dreams for the future. Each person in this community forms our shared Huayao Collegiate family, distinguished and exceptional in character!
Here, I also want to express gratitude to the teachers at HC.
You are beacons in the lives of children, mentors on life's journey. How fortunate it is to encounter good teachers in life. It is precisely because HC has gathered a group of connoisseur of talents, and because of your dedication to cultivating scholars with independent personalities, independent spirits, and independent problem-solving abilities, as well as your commitment to whether scholars are happy after their academic advancement, it is because of your meticulous care and wise guidance that our scholars have achieved what they have today. They have not only found a sense of ease in learning but also discovered their areas of interest, continually exploring their passions in life. At the same time, they have learned to think and create, striving to discover and become the best and most unique version of yourself.
Right now, I propose that we give our applause of gratitude to our group leaders, to Carol, to our parents, teachers, and to ourselves.
Dear scholars, may you cherish all the joyful moments and precious memories from HC, and embark on new journeys empowered by these memories. Time waits for no one, the future is already here. In a rapidly globalizing world, our roles are changing. Inheritance, absorption, integration, and innovation are eternal principles of human progress. May you carry the excellent Chinese culture to the center of the world and become a global citizen embracing diversity. For those of you about to enter university, I would like to revisit the school's educational philosophy once again with everyone. This is the graduate model of Dipont Huayao Collegiate School oriented towards the future:
"Beginning with the end in mind, we put forward the core qualities that Huayao Collegiate graduates should possess. These qualities, our Keys to Success, will not only allow them to be accomplished in school, but to achieve success and to live meaningful lives as scholars when they enter college and face future challenges."
If you ask me, 'What is the meaning of life?' My answer will always be: to live for interests and passions. This is the wealth that Huayao Collegiate leaves for you. May you always retain curiosity about the world, use your mind to think, your heart to feel, and your hands to create. Keep exploring the fields you love, and seek the essence of life!
Upon entering university, I hope to see you embody the qualities of "Resilient Scholar, Adaptable Ambassador, Enlightened Communicator, and Ethical Visionary" With "Dare to seek deep understanding", "Dare to be authentic individuals", "Dare to bridge understanding in Chinese and English", "Dare to flourish beyond the classroom to improve our world." May all the goodness of Huayao Collegiate serve as your motivation forward and may all the glory of Huayao Collegiate continue to adorn you like a halo!
Though we get closer and closer to our farewell, a NEW chapter in your lives is about to begin. Your journey spans the vast stars and seas, with boundless paths beneath your feet! May you fear no hardships nor obstacles, brave storms and thunder, cherish the future moments, fulfill your missions, adorned in radiant glory, and pursue infinite dreams!
