The first thing that came to mind when I was asked to give the speech was simply: gratitude. Again, because the school took another gamble with such a choice knowing I had yet to learn anything about cost-savings (in case, with words..).
As to what I hope, it is that those in that room continue to spread their best, because that’s how more leaders are born. We ourselves bore the fruits of reinvesting in our community, growing as more impactful leaders.
We’ve shared incredible experiences together: distributing COVID protection when we barely knew each other, sending tents to Turkey after the earthquake, planting trees year-round, providing school bags to underprivileged kids, giving a stage for others to share their professional stories that we can learn from and supporting those engaging in new ventures (even swinging into action with our class-founded Golf Club!).
Our class initiated efforts to eliminate plastic use and worked (almost literally, at least with our own resources!) to make our campus more welcoming for future students through renovations. Yes, we faced our share of challenges, but we stood united, leaving no one behind (or wardrobe untouched with our branded clothing line!).
Coming from a family with agricultural roots, I’ve always believed that you reap what you sow. I truly hope we continue to plant seeds in this community and enjoy the rewards that flourish.
The class bell rang one last time, but this ain’t definitely the last we will be setting foot in this house that represents our shared future (and that of our cats!) - China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
For the actual speech: https://lnkd.in/g8WaQj6f
(English option on the right, then speech starts at 01:06:00)