Growing Up Is Never Easy, but We Made It – Shenzhen College of International Education

01. Intro

Good morning, esteemed guests, proud parents, dedicated faculty and staff, and of course, my incredible fellow graduates.

How do you define the Class of 2025? My instinct was to find quick, tidy answers. G1, gpa defying? G2, covid defying? Al, attendance defying?

Yet at the point of graduation, I realized some things are simply too vast to be contained. Some stories are best told not through labels, but through the resonance of their own inexplicable truth.

And what a story we have. We are a class of paradoxes: dreamers with our on the ground, rebels with a cause, the individuals who found unity in our diversity.

We balanced the weight of expectation with the lightness of possibility. And through it all, we carried each other—sometimes with words, often with silence, always with presence.

Graduation is a quiet admittance that the experiences we’ve lived are now becoming cherished memories. May it remind us that, despite time’s inevitable march, there was a moment on this campus when we truly felt infinite.

It’s the study sessions that turned into existential debates, the spontaneous road trips we said yes to and the shared glances —in the corridor, on the court, across the classroom—that words can’t quite capture.

It’s the friends who became family. It’s the cheers and tears after winning, or losing, the game, and the quiet moments of thoughts that sketched our dreams.

All in the chaos of growing up.

02. To Parents and Peers

Speaking of growing up, there’s hardly a better way to describe our four-year journey.

When we first stepped onto this campus, we were teenagers — full of dreams, bursting with potential, and brimming with hope. Yet, we were also uncertain, a little overwhelmed, and perhaps quietly afraid of what lay ahead.

Now, as we stand on the edge of our futures, we are world-ready, equipped with determination, talent, and resilience. But this transformation came at a cost — a cost often overlooked by those watching from afar, but deeply felt by us.

It was built on the nights we stayed up late striving to be better, on the speeches we gave despite shaking hands, on the challenges we thought might break us. These moments, though tough, shaped who we are.

So, to my fellow graduates, thank you. Thank you for not giving up on yourselves, for standing back up after every fall, for refusing to take no for an answer, and most of all, for supporting one another through every step of this journey.

And luckily, we were never alone. A tight hug, a warm meal, sliced fruit quietly placed on our desks — these small acts, often taken for granted, were how our parents showed their love. Perhaps “I love you” is rare in some of our homes, but their love, silent as it may be, has always been powerful.

To our parents, thank you. Your unwavering support and sacrifices have been our foundation. No matter how far we go, we know we’ll always have a place to return to — a place of rest and love.

03. To Teachers and Staff

A2 was, in my view, the hardest year for all of us.

Between the SAT, STEP, personal essays, and endless tasks, I felt overwhelmed—like a machine running nonstop, always “striving to be the best,” as our school motto says. I couldn’t handle low scores.

When they came, I broke down. A2 was a time of collapsing—and then reshaping. We were forced to confront who we are and how we respond to pressure.

But on our way, we weren’t alone.

The principals reframed that motto for us — that “striving to be the best” doesn’t mean outpacing the world, but becoming our best, in our own time.

The UCO, too, was a constant presence—always listening, even when I was panicked. He once dryly noted that when “a panicked person talks panickly is just killing more air,” Oddly, it made me laugh, and also helped me breathe easier. Together, they helped us find balance again.

And along the way, we were reminded:

we are more than a score—

we are the resilience, the courage, and the growth that got us here.

We are everything it took to arrive at this moment—

and all the becoming that lies ahead.

04. To Graduates

To the legendary Class of 2025—we made it.

These past four (or two) years, we’ve gone through these halls—from early mornings to late nights, from G-Level to A2 graduation now.

Together, we’ve shared 126 million seconds of memories, adventures, and revolution. We survived online classes during COVID-19, adapted to reforms and ever-shifting policies.

We are the last of a legacy—the final class who never had to rush to school by 7:50 AM for Morning Registration, whose GPAs weren’t shaped by PE, and who witnessed SCIE’s campus transform before our eyes.

Yet, we are also the first—the pioneers who navigated attendance, A2 privilege and the labyrinth of AS and A-Level English, falling in love (and occasionally torture and despair) with Shakespeare’s words and English writing.

And yes—we are the most attractive class ever.

As Charles Dickens put, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” We began as nervous freshmen, but grew stronger—gaining wisdom, forging bonds, and unforgettable memories.

I’ll always remember the dreamy sunsets by the library, the laugh-filled lunches at the café, and the iconic blue and yellow staircases that witnessed our journeys.

Our time here wasn’t about grades, it’s about us—the lifelong friendships, the mentors who guided us, the moments that shaped us.

And now, here we are: done with High School! Class of 2025, it’s been an incredible four years with you. Wherever life takes you next, I wish you the very, very best.

05. To Future

You see, the road behind us has been twisted.

But here’s the bad news: what lies before us may be even more rugged and unpredictable.

The future is clear: tougher college courses, an ever-changing global landscape, and life’s myriad small tasks—from obtaining our first credit card to moving alone. Soon, over 450 SCIE graduates will scatter worldwide, embracing our “freedom.”

This “freedom” is complex. It means our life maps suddenly expand vastly, countless paths diverging ahead. None are marked “mandatory”; nobody urges “keep moving.”

We can dive into research, chase GPAs, pursue impressive resumes—or bravely explore new territories, launch startups, or simply pause for breath.

Freedom offers infinite possibilities but carries the weight of choice. Voices from every direction—suggestions, expectations, demands—form a distracting, mind-splitting chorus.

But so what?

We’ve long been prepared. At SCIE, we’ve had ample time and space to explore our true passions, inspired by a community doing the same. We’ve anchored ourselves to a “root” of genuine interest and commitment.

These roots can be academic or not. They live in victories on the sports field, melodies on stage, or simple pleasures in everyday life.

Whatever form they take, they anchor us. When the future grows complicated and choices overwhelm, remember your “root”. Recognize, protect, and follow it. With this anchor, our decisions remain steady, unshaken by any storm.

But, before we set off, let the breeze tousle our hair, and take a moment to rest.

06. Outro

As the go-to person for closing out SELT speeches, assemblies and pep rallies in the past year, you would think I am probably a pro at farwells now. But this one feels different. Because I’m not just concluding another chapter of our high school life—we’re closing the entire book. And honestly?

Saying “the end” stings a little more when the next part is unwritten, titled the “terrifying but exciting future.”

So our story doesn’t end, it simply continues, written in new places, with new people, and new versions of ourselves.

We are not leaving as those who let go, but as those who carry forward. We carry the joy, the ache, the love. The rare beauty of being truly known—right here.

And as we wave goodbye to each other today, I just want to say—thank you, Class of 2025 for being the heart and soul of this story. Growing up is never easy, but we made it.