The Global Business Journalism website is providing in-depth coverage of the 2024 Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication commencement, including the celebration of the GBJ graduation. Today, we offer you the complete remarks of valedictorian Nguyen Hà Linh of Hanoi, Vietnam, on June 28 at the GBJ ceremony in the recently renovated journalism school building.
Good afternoon everyone,
Thank you all for being here today. My name is Hà Linh, and it’s such an honor for me to stand here before you as we’re about to close our chapter at Tsinghua.
First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the faculty members for their academic and professional guidance. Your wisdom and support have been invaluable. To my family, who are also here today, thank you for always standing by me, cheering me on through every challenge and success. And to my GBJ friends, thank you for the beautiful memories we’ve created together. These past two years would not have been the same without any of you.
I remember our orientation, which was done online, with low-pixel videos on Zoom and Tencent meeting, each of us with a name underneath our little square. Those days now seem like distant memories, and that shows how fast time flies. I’m so glad that we can be in one room today for this graduation ceremony, celebrating the end of this chapter of our lives and sending our best wishes to each other as we step into a new one.
If you had told my 8-year-old self, who was crying and begging my mom not to send me to English class out of fear of the foreign language, that I’d one day be studying journalism in English at one of the best universities in the world, I would have laughed and looked at you terrifyingly. Yet, here I am today speaking at our graduation ceremony. It shows that anything and everything can happen if you dare to dream.
This notion of “everything and anything can happen” is not only true when it comes to our personal journey, but also to the rapidly evolving world we live in. The field of journalism and communication is changing faster than ever. Over the past two years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to absorbing as much knowledge as possible, but the world we are about to step into after today may be very different from what we’ve prepared for. However, I firmly believe that the foundation we’ve built here at Tsinghua will enable us to shine brightly, no matter what path we choose.
We may be well past the age when we look at phrases like “everything is possible” and “you’re capable of everything” with bright, hopeful eyes. But I truly believe these words. No matter what challenges await us, let us always remember our brilliance and resilience. We are capable of handling whatever life throws at us, just as we have dealt with the challenges and triumphs of our time here.
Our Global Business Journalism program at Tsinghua University brought together students from all parts of the world.
This diverse mix created a rich environment where we all learned from each other. I am deeply grateful to have gotten to know each and every one of you and to have shared in the creation of these unexpectedly beautiful memories.
In closing, I want to express my gratitude once more. To all faculty members, family, friends, and classmates, thank you for making this journey unforgettable. It has been an honor to learn, grow and share this experience with all of you.
Congratulations, Global Business Journalism program’s Class of 2024! Here’s to the future and all the incredible new journeys that await us.
Thank you.
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