Professors, faculty members, friends, families, and alumni,
On behalf of the graduating class of 2023, I sincerely welcome everyone and thank you for sharing this unforgettable occasion with us. I am greatly honoured to have been chosen to speak today on behalf of my friends and peers. It has been a long journey here – and the view from 2023 is so very different from the view from 2020 when we took our first nervous steps as Year One students.
We all live in a world where huge changes are happening so fast. We've weathered COVID-19 and embraced transformative AI innovations like ChatGPT in academia and professions.
Graduating amid challenges and opportunities, we ponder the value of our liberal arts degree and whole-person education in an uncertain world. We've learned to rely on grit and wit, and I'll highlight three key lessons from UIC that are now imprinted on my mind.
The first is that Caring for your body and mind is your greatest responsibility. In a world obsessed with competition and achievement, UIC has taught us to balance striving for excellence with maintaining our well-being. We've learned that education is not a race but a journey of discovery.
Number two: To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. In the era of generative AI, we need multiple tools and approach problems from various perspectives. Our liberal arts education has taught us to think dialectically, negotiate conflicting positions, and realize that problems can have multiple solutions or sometimes none at all. For this, I'm grateful to all of my professors and classmates for their insights and for encouraging me not to think of real-world issues with a one-track mind. We now have more than a hammer in our toolbox.
Final lesson: The best way to be selfish is to be selfless. In other words, the best thing about being part of a community-of-learning is the community. Here, allow me to express my gratitude to the SWSA, Humanities and Social Sciences faculty, especially Dr Kam Tong CHAN, Professor Johnston WONG, Professor Maggie TANG, Professor Christian Aspalter, and Professor Charles Leung, for really leading us by example. To my classmates, thank you for your camaraderie and support.
Our journey here can be condensed into a simple maxim: Be grateful, be humble, be human. Our time at UIC has moulded us into individuals ready to embrace change, continuously learn and grow, and contribute to society. We will not be daunted by change or transformation. Rather, we will eagerly take the wheel and be the pioneers of our generation.
Congratulations to the class of 2023. Good luck and good health to all of you!
