The following is the English translation of William Matthew Dreesen's speech at NYU Shanghai's 2023 Commencement Ceremony, which he delivered in Chinese.
President Hamilton, Chancellor Tong, Vice-Chancellor Lehman, respected faculty, distinguished guests, family members, friends, and especially my fellow members of the Class of 2023, who, alongside myself today, are celebrating all of our accomplishments from the past four years.
It is truly an honor to be up here in the presence of my peers and professors, whom I owe the deepest gratitude for all they have done for me, each other, and our class as a whole over the years. I would like to first begin with a quote that is very befitting of the occasion.
“夫仁者，己欲立而立人，己欲达而达” 或者在普通话“赢的决心，成功的渴望，达到百分百潜力的驱策这些就是打开自身优秀的钥匙”. In English, "The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... These are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence." This was said by Confucius in The Analects in response to Zigong, one of his disciples.
Reaching our full potential, according to Confucius, is becoming a person of benevolence, a pursuit not for attaining individual enrichment but rather for taking the world as one's own responsibility, putting ourselves in other people's shoes, and being helpful and kind.
The Class of 2023, the last class of students at NYU Shanghai to have attended here at a time before the Covid-19 outbreak and the class that has undoubtedly endured the most hardships over the course of our four years at NYU Shanghai, possesses these keys, and we, without a doubt, have unlocked the door to personal excellence and benevolence.
First and foremost, we must give credit to the institution that has made this journey toward personal excellence possible, NYU Shanghai. This institution has provided us with a world-class education and instilled in us a greater sense of curiosity, responsibility, and, most importantly, facilitated a space where deep engagement occurs. We have learned to look at the world through a different lens, one where there are no boundaries and where language, culture, and vision are key.
Earlier this school year, during a trip I took to Beijing, I had an epiphany about all the progress and development I have been through over these four years, specifically about my acquisition of Chinese as a language and adaptation to Chinese culture, which I believe to be the most important. Our class, both international students and Chinese students, have all experienced the process of learning a foreign language, studying abroad, and taking the risk of studying at a foreign university.
When I got into a taxi with a Beijing 老大爷 as my driver, I was asked questions foreigners are usually asked. At the end of the car ride, however, the driver said something that really hit me to my core, he said "你可能看起来和我们不一样，你可能来自不同的国家，但在我心中你是一个中华人，一个同胞."
We have all experienced something like this in one form or another, a time where we connect with someone different from us, yet there is that moment where those differences do not matter, where we can relate human to human and be our most genuine selves. We all have a mutual vision, a vision that binds us, a vision that excites us, and a vision that defines our community, and this vision is a global one where people from all walks of life from anywhere in the world can come together and collaborate without cultural, racial, or gender barriers. We are the guardians of this vision and have what it takes to make it happen within this century.
I would like to use an analogy in describing what this school and what our community is all about. First, allow me to read a poem by one of the most famous Tang Dynasty poets, Wángwéi. It is titled, Xīnyí wù or, in English, "The Magnolia Dale." "木末芙蓉花|山中發紅萼| 澗戶寂無人| 紛紛開且落" "The magnolia-tipped trees / In mountains burst in flowers / The mute brook-side house sees /Them blow and fall in showers."
Just like the magnolia flowers, we are here, at this school, for only four years, growing and eventually blossoming into the scholars we are now, but just like the flowers, we fall off our tree that we were nourished by and when we are ready, we are blown in the wind towards our next adventure in life.
As many of you know, the NYU Shanghai logo is a magnolia flower and a magnolia tree is one of endurance and strength, and thus in many cultures, including Chinese culture, the tree symbolizes everlasting connections. We are about to be a network of magnolia flowers scattered across the world, following the paths of destiny, and although we may have left the tree, we all know where we came from. That is NYU Shanghai.
In closing, to the Class of 2023, President Hamilton, Chancellor Tong, Vice-Chancellor Lehmann, the faculty and staff members, and all of the families who have made it possible for my peers to be at this school, thank you for everything you have taught, organized, and done for us, you have all contributed to and laid the foundation for our future success. We are Shanghai!