Good afternoon, President Tang, teachers, proud parents and my fellow graduates. Thank you for joining me to celebrate this wonderful moment. I am Chen Yang from food science and technology program. Today is a day of joy, a proud day for my UIC classmates. We are living in an interesting time, a world that is full of challenges, including COVID-19. Still, we have managed to reach this wonderful milestone.
Congratulations to the Class of 2021!
I believe that all of you harbored a dream when you first entered UIC. Maybe you want to be enrolled by a top university for further study, maybe you want to join an ideal company for you career, or maybe you want to find someone that you are willing to share your life with. Whatever your dream, you have devoted the past four years to get here. Every single one of you has your own talent, and every single one of you has something to offer. UIC has given us numerous opportunities to discover our passion and callings. Even though we are going to graduate, I invite you to remember the words of Donald Levingston, a teacher from the School of Education of Harvard: our stories and experiences are the ladders that make it easier for us to touch the sky and grab the stars.
I still remember when I was a year two students. I was so confused about my future. I had no idea about which master program I should apply for or which industry I should enter after graduation. It was quite a frustrating period for me; and I believe some of you felt the same way. Later I talked to teachers and my friends, then I realized the college was not only about the acquisition of knowledge, but also the application of knowledge. So, I stared to use the theories that I learned from different courses into my academic projects and my internship. In addition to my own major, I also tried to apply the knowledge in other areas such as banking, education, and digital marketing. Eventually, I find my interest and talents point to the path of my future. Therefore, I strongly urge each one of you to be fearless to try new things that beyond your curriculum to better understand your inner voice and find out where you interest lies. The ceremony today marks an end of one of the most cherishable chapters in our journey. Now we are entering a new stage, so let us maintain our modesty, curiosity, diligence, and persistence.
At the end of my speech, I would like to invite all my fellow graduates to express our gratitude to our teachers, our friends, and the most importantly, our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents (if you have any). These are the people who always support us unconditionally.
Thank you.
