If My Valedictorian Speech Were Uncut

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On our first day at HKUST, we heard what defined our school life: dare to dream. It sounds simple enough, but in reality, it's more complicated than we think.

What do we really dare to dream about? Are we dreaming for what we want or just limiting our dreams according to the expectations set for us?

Now, after four years , this motto means something completely different. It reflects our challenging journey in finding out who we are and what we want. Sometimes, this does not fit the norms set by the society, which make us feel lost and stressed, and lack courage to be who we truly want to be.

We all have gone through the same experience. We thought we were alone, but we weren’t. If we knew initially that all of us had different but similar challenges, we could have better helped each other achieve our own success and get the support that we needed.

There were a lot of roadblocks along the way because of the pressure the university has put onto us. How to get the most prestigious internship or job; or how to get a 4.0 GPA. We look at these titles with starry eyes that we sometimes forget why we want these titles in the first place. Because although it gives us instant gratification and pride when we receive these achievements, we also carry a huge weight on our shoulders because of how conscious we can be under the eyes of others.

So are we dreaming for what we want? Or what others want from us? The environment of our university reflected that "daring to dream" is, unfortunately, "daring to dream what society wants from you". They reward people purely based on their performance in school and the accolades they have on their CV. The rest of those who become burnt out or pursue another road are ultimately forgotten. But worse, they are judged for not being the norm.

Our environment has bred us to find people's worth based on their achievements. We make friends based on what they can offer us rather than what we can learn from them. Everything has become transactional and hypercompetitive. If you get burnt out or feel like a failure, we are not encouraged to get the support we need or navigate these emotions in a healthy manner because of the glorification of "stress and tension". We have become desensitized and out of touch from these emotions, using dark humour like "jumping off the mushroom" in the name of jokes. These jokes exist because of the hint of reality it reflects on our campus. And the more we joke about it, the more we continue to turn a blind eye to people's genuine calls for help. And that's what makes us feel that we were alone.

We should start encouraging dreams outside of the norm. Not only fostering business leaders, bankers and consultants, but also growing future artists, creators and teachers. We should nurture people’s untapped potential by leveraging the boundless opportunities at this university and help them pursue their own definition of success. If the university can successfully unleash the potential of their top students, they can surely bring out motivation from those who are still confused and unsure of where the road may take them. There should be more variety in student societies, extracurricular activities and courses for students to truly pursue self discovery. Develop more interactive class formats to broaden their perspective on the topics we learn at school, rather than memorize content for exams that we will forget a few months later.

Instead of looking for heroes under famous names or accolades, we should also focus on people who were timid but now dare to take a leap of faith. Focus on those who know how to take care of their mental health while pursuing their dreams. What we see in Forbes' interviews about hustle culture is merely the surface of what success entails. They constantly romanticize how millionaires or billionaires weathered multiple rejections before they achieved success, and never about validating the pain and stress that they have gone through. The story is only the tip of the iceberg, saying that it simply takes resilience and you just have to toughen up. But as the new generation, we should also ask why there are many barriers in providing people their big breaks when they do have so much hidden potential. Why does it take so long for the system to recognize that?

My belief is that we have to start breaking the generational cycle by being more willing to help the people around us by normalizing things that we once thought were not normal. That includes normalizing getting a break if you are burnt out. Encouraging people's success in their passion rather than fearing for their failure and its risks. So for me, as I take the first step, I want to continue learning about the systems in our society. From how businesses and economies function to how individuals adapt to these systems, if we can better understand how they work, perhaps we can also find a solution that can improve the welfare for all.

Yesterday I was a student, but at this moment, as we graduate and bring our experiences to the outside world, we also bring something else with us – more clarity, more perspective. And most of all, we bring hope, not just to ourselves, but also to those who will stand on this podium just a few years later.

Today marks a new chapter in our life. Once we step outside of this auditorium, we are going to face a new reality. University is only a small reflection of what society brings. We will be going through much tougher realities and painful truths. Perhaps I am an idealist when I say these things, albeit a little naïve for that matter, but I would like to believe that we can make long strides by becoming aware of the systems' impacts in society and making small changes that can eventually influence the people around us. So yes, I am naïve. But I want to keep a little bit of this youthful spirit of ambition as I move forward with my life, because that allows me to remain courageous to pursue the dreams I have for myself without wavering under the judgment of others.

Let's continue to be brave and keep that slight naivete as we take new leaps of faith to grow into better versions of ourselves. I'd like to think that we will continue to surprise ourselves with how much we're capable of achieving if we constantly practice being self aware and open-minded to change. Because we are so much more than what a job title or a number on a piece of paper describes us. Our worth is indescribable, and it may take a lifetime to truly discover that, but as long as we are open to growth, we can make the tables turn to our favour.

Thank you to HKUST for the wonderful journey of growth and discovery, and congratulations to Class of 2021! Let’s demonstrate to everybody we absolutely dare to dream!