President Ng, Professors, Parents, Fellow Graduates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am Li Huiyi, a graduate of the Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) programme in Accounting this year. Today, it’s my great honour to address all of you on behalf of the 2016 graduating students. First of all, I would like to thank all the parents, family members, and friends who encouraged and supported us throughout our university education. I would also like to specially thank all UIC faculty members for their dedication, guidance, and support in the past four years. They have contributed immensely to helping us achieve our academic success today.
Today is a momentous occasion in the journey of our lives. Right now, I am sure all my fellow graduates feel the same way as I do, that is, a mixed feeling of excitement, accomplishment, gratitude, and anxiety. I can still remember four years ago when we first came to UIC. As freshmen, we had high expectations as we began our college life. Time flies, and now it’s time to say goodbye to our beloved school. Looking back to the past four years, there are too many precious memories. We will never forget the beautiful path surrounded by trees and flowers that leads to the teaching buildings. In the classrooms, we built up our knowledge base through lectures, discussions, and research, as well as countless individual and group presentations, we participated in different student activities. In the library, besides using the available resources, we also spent many hours working on our assignments and preparing for exams. In the student canteen, we socialised with our peers and also discussed group projects and presentations. Moreover, for me, there's a deep feeling of connection with the people here, peers from different provinces and different countries, as well as faculty members from different parts of the world. We cherish the four years’ memories at UIC, and will utilise, apply, and broaden the knowledge and skills that we have acquired whether we choose to enter the workforce or further our studies.
UIC offers a new model for advancement in higher education. University life here is both challenging and rewarding. Apart from the heavy course-load and busy schedules, UIC has created an open, dynamic, and interactive learning environment for us. We strongly endorse the UIC mission of guiding its students in achieving a “whole-person” and “liberal arts” education, which represents a search for knowledge, a quest for truth, and most importantly, the commitment to achieving these ideals. These ideals have become our lifelong pursuits. Many thanks to UIC for helping us develop a global vision, interact with an empathetic heart, and set ambitious goals. UIC aims to nurture students with international perspectives. Now we see more and more of our graduates being admitted to world-class universities and multinational companies. With the construction of a new campus underway and the recent celebration of the college’s tenth anniversary, I believe all of us here are proud to celebrate the solid foundation that UIC has established and we wholeheartedly extend our best wishes for its bright future in the next decade and beyond.
In closing, I would like to congratulate the graduating class of 2016. Today is an important milestone for us. Graduation is not an end; but the beginning of a new journey. Now that we are graduating, we will soon encounter many challenges as a new journey brings not only excitements and hopes, but also anxieties, and uncertainties. I believe all of us will have the confidence and abilities in overcoming every obstacle in our way as well as achieving our academic and career goals. Whether we pursue further studies or seek employment, UIC will always have a place in our hearts. Let’s embrace our future with the UIC spirit: innovate, progress and excel. Thank you!
