Speech by Ms. Liu Yanxi (undergraduate)
Speech by Ms. Liu Yanxi (undergraduate)
Distinguished guests, beloved professors, families from near and far, and fellow graduates of the Class of 2025,
Da gu na he 大家好—that’s a little bit of Wenzhou dialect I’ve picked up.
I’m Liu Yanxi, and today, as your valedictorian, I stand before you filled with gratitude, and honestly, a little unreal about delivering this speech.
Over the past few years, we've faced both challenges and triumphs—from staring at a black screen with only the professor’s camera on during online classes, to submitting what we hoped was the “final-final” version of our theses. This incredible journey has taught us so much, and today, I’d like to share three lessons that have deeply resonated with me, hoping they do the same for you.
First, we learn to Know thyself:
Take me as an example, I changed my major twice. It was through many speech competitions that I found my passion for public speaking. My voice was heard close to home when I worked as a local guide and ambassador for the Indian Women’s Soccer Team at the Asian Games in Hangzhou. Later, it reached as far as the IFA Berlin Expo, where I helped a Chinese brand showcase its power storage technology. It was this inner voice that led me to the field of communication, where I can connect people across languages, cultures, and stories.
My story is just one among many in this room. Some of you have inspired to be cultural ambassadors, while others have found perseverance through sports or entrepreneurship. Some have discovered their calling in design, and others are ready to push the boundaries of biomedical research.
These are things we never imagined when we first arrived, but that’s the beauty of WKU—it gave us the chance to explore, to stumble, to rise, and ultimately, to become who we wanted to be.
Sometimes the road can be tough and full of doubt, or like the road Robert Frost described in his famous poem The Road not Taken. We find ourselves in a dilemma, where we must decide whether or not to continue on a difficult path. THAT is ‘us’, me, you and the people sitting around you today.
This brings me to my second lesson I’ve learned, Step Beyond:
At WKU, we've moved from our comfort zone into zones of uncertainty and fear, and ultimately, into the zone of learning.
We chose to learn in English.
We chose to be WKUers, embracing the unique Sino-foreign university experience and preparing ourselves to be leaders with a global perspective.
We chose to step beyond the campus, seeking internships and summer programs around the world.
It’s on these global stages where we hear WKU’s voice and see our actions make a difference. As we step beyond and move forward, our responsibilities grow, and perspectives expands. We shift from focusing solely on our own development to helping others along the way.
To reflect this, I’d like to share a quote from Confucius: “己欲立而立人，己欲达而达 人.”
This ties into the final lesson I’ve learned, which is Serve with Love.
To me, leadership isn’t about holding a position or wielding power over others. It’s about giving before receiving, about recognizing that we’re part of something greater than ourselves.
I vividly remember in 2022, when one of our classmates fell seriously ill. In just 24 hours, over 500 WKUers gathered to donate platelets. No one questioned. No one hesitated. We just show up. That day, I realized we weren’t just classmates—we were, and are, a family.
At WKU, I learned that love transcends all boundaries of gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and culture. Every act of service, big or small, bridges the gap from “me” to “we.”
So, wherever you go, whatever career path you pursue, I hope you always carry with you a sense of responsibility and love.
In closing, as we toss our caps and look toward the future, may we carry with us not only our degrees, but also these three values:
1. The wisdom to Know Thyself,
2. The courage to step beyond, and
3. The heart to serve with love.
To the visionaries who built WKU—thank you for dreaming across the Pacific.
To our professors—thank you for teaching us not only how to think, but how to become.
To my fellow graduates—thank you for your presence, your perseverance and your light.
To be a WKU student is to be part of a unique journey where cultures meet, ideas spark, and leaders emerge.
Let us carry this torch forward. Wherever life takes us, let’s always remember we are WKUers. Congratulations once again, Class of 2025!
Speech by Mr. Zhang Chaohe (graduate)
Good afternoon, leaders, faculty, parents, and students,
It is my great honor to stand here today as a representative of the graduate students. My name is Zhang Chaohe. I am an officer working in the Wenzhou government and a proud member of the first MBA cohort jointly launched by the Wenzhou Municipal Party Committee Organization Department and Wenzhou-Kean University. Thanks to the recommendation and support of the Organization Department, I had the opportunity to pursue this valuable learning experience. This graduation marks not only a personal milestone but also a step forward in the deepening cooperation between our local government and WKU.
First and foremost, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the leadership of the Wenzhou Municipal Party Committee and Government for their foresight and trust in initiating this pioneering program. My heartfelt thanks also go to WKU and Kean US for offering us a world-class education. We are especially grateful to our devoted professors for their guidance, and to our classmates for their support. Without you, we would not have come this far.
Over the past two years, many moments have been memorable, but one in particular stands out in my mind:
In March 2024, we had the chance to participate in a symposium with 18 MBA students from Kean University in Wenzhou. It was during this event that I met Anthony, an American student. Before visiting Wenzhou, Anthony believed that the city was still focused on traditional manufacturing. However, after touring several modern local enterprises, he was amazed by Wenzhou’s cutting-edge and intelligent electronic factories. His perception of China changed completely. We also had a lot of discussions about our cultures, he has a deep interest in Chinese calligraphy, while I’m a big fan of the NBA—we quickly became friends.
Last year, President Xi Jinping emphasized that educational exchanges and cooperation help foster mutual understanding between the peoples of China and the United States, especially among young people. These interactions are investments in the future of China-U.S. relations.
This experience affirmed my belief that education is a powerful bridge between cultures. While China and the U.S. do have cultural differences, through open communication and shared learning, we can turn these differences into strengths. Every discussion, every collaboration in the classroom, plants the seeds for deeper global cooperation.
Graduation is not the end, but the beginning of a new journey. As WKU teaches us: Start here, go anywhere. May we all become bridges of international exchange, contributors to regional development, and active participants in shaping the future. Youth never ends, dreams are just beginning. I will carry forward the knowledge, values, and global perspective I gained here into my professional life, and contribute to the continued development of Wenzhou.
Speech by Ms. Chen Min (doctoral graduate)
Distinguished guests, professors, and fellow graduates,
I am Chen Min, a doctoral graduate in Educational Leadership. To be frank - I was the student who lost count of how many nights were spent racing deadlines, often holding back tears. However, I stand here today to share three questions that successfully navigated me through this journey.
The First Question was: “Should I stick with it?”
Last New Year’s Eve, while fireworks lit up social media feeds, I sat alone at my computer, anxious because I couldn’t find the existing scales for my thesis. “Should I quit? Should I change my research topic?” Those thoughts came to mind more than once. But then I remembered my supervisor, Professor Jahirul’s words, “Once you choose a path, stick with it.” Holding on to that belief, I ended up creating three original research scales for my thesis. They proved to be reliable, valid, and solid. I learned that “Start Here” means fully committing to our chosen directions. When we plant our roots deeply in a research field, we achieve an academic passport to “Go Anywhere.”
The second profound question was: Do you realize how far you’ve come?
Weeks ago, after a two-hour brainstorming with my four advisors, they smiled and remarked, “You’ve got some novel findings. Looking back through your quantitative research journey, do you realize how far you’ve come?” It suddenly brought back memories of my first year of EDD when I was still hiding in my comfort zone of qualitative research, and even the SPSS interface felt overwhelming. Without my advisors’ guidance, I couldn’t recognize the world through dual lenses. It turns out that: With WKU filling our sails full, we “start here” to navigate beyond cognitive boundaries and “go anywhere.”
The third question was perhaps the hardest one: Am I ready?
When I entered this doctoral program four years ago, I was a classroom teacher. Today, the policies I initiated for the government are affecting the educational ecology of the entire city. My past self would have asked, “How can someone like me possibly be ready for that?” The answer lies in the mindset that I cultivated at WKU. Every assignment shaped our perspectives as an educational leader. Every project strengthened our evidence-based decision-making ability. I came to realize that the knowledge I’ve built “here” becomes the foundation to drive meaningful change “anywhere” in the real world.
Right now, beneath these academic robes, we herald the following:
Every moment of perseverance.
Every transformation we’ve embraced.
And every spark inside that still speaks: “I am ready.”
Remember, our journey at WKU is the “Start Here” that empowers us to “Go Anywhere.” Wherever life takes us next, let’s rise to the challenge, break through the barriers, and sow seeds of possibility.
Thank you and congratulations to us all!
