2018-2019届毕业典礼演讲稿—学生代表何锐

Good evening everyone!

Just 10 months ago, we sat together for the first time in the rotunda at UVA, curious about which country the person sitting beside us was from, or what language he or she spoke.

And now 10 months later, we are here, celebrating the end of this long journey as a big family. Time always goes faster than people think, but I invite you to recall, do you still remember the friends who were in the same color group as you in the personality test in orientation? Do you still remember what your thesis teammate wrote in the confidential envelopes? You might find that a lot can happen over the course of 10 months!

In this program, we got a comprehensive and systematic education in each field of business. No matter if it was at McIntire, Lingnan or ESADE, we had both theoretical courses and practical training. No matter if it was in Marketing, Finance or Operations, we learned from experienced professors and through our own team cooperation. I still remember the debate sessions organized by Professor Cowen, and how we could all see the same management question from different views. I appreciate that Professor Tingting taught us how to quantify consumers attitudes towards brands. I may never forget how to understand operation bottleneck from the example of Herbie’s hiking introduced by Professor Wiengarten. All of these education experiences were not only about teaching us the knowledge or skills we will use in the career, but also meant to show us the philosophy behind our lives and future ahead.

The study trips in three continents could be one of highlights in this year. We visited the US state department in Washington DC, where we discussed not only academics, but also politics, trade and international relations. In Shenzhen, China, we were impressed by how digital banking is changing people’s lives, thanks to WeBank, Tencent. Here in Barcelona, all of us were excited to visit the Amazon fulfillment center, experiencing how world-class logistical operations can work with smart technology.

In addition, this year has also been a long cultural trip. We experienced three unique cultures across the globe, spending Thanksgiving in the US, Spring Festival in China, and Easter holiday in Europe, the most interesting festivals in their right places! Of course, we also had our confusions along the way, such as why Chinese use umbrellas on sunny days, or why western people wait until the last-minute to plan a trip. We also had conflicts from how to structure a PowerPoint presentation, to what the temperature the air conditioner should be set at.

But that is all because, we were studying together, and sharing our lives together.

When my friends in China asked me what this program is like, I told them it is just like a large pan of Valencian paella. When you put chicken, ribs, onion, beans, and rice, all the stuff in the pan, it really looks like a mess in the beginning. However, when you give it some time, you smell the aromas from the pan, you find that they mixed together perfectly. They used to have totally different flavors, but in the pan, they adapt each other, they change each other. That is why every piece of chicken, every grain of rice gets a better flavor than it had before.

That is how each of us becomes a better version of ourselves.

To conclude, on behalf of the cohort, I want to thank all the faculties from the three schools for teaching us, leading us, and creating this unique learning environment for us. A special thank you to all the families and friends, especially our parents, for the company and support they have given us not only today, but for our entire lives. Finally, I want to thank the class.

I am honored to speak on your behalf, but the real honor is the time I had been spending with you all. At some point in the future, maybe when we least expect, I hope that our paths may cross again.

Thank you! Gracias! 谢谢大家！