Deans, invited guests, faculty members, families and friends: Welcome.

Two years ago we embarked on an odyssey of epic proportions, setting sail for the promised land of knowledge and braving the high seas, searching for the light of learning. The journey was arduous and far from smooth sailing. We encountered tidal waves, endured gusty gales and withstood homesickness. There were starless nights and bleak days that caused our hopes of reaching shore to dwindle, and treacherous turbulence that set us off course. It is no secret that, at different junctions of time, we driftedupon the currents of the unknown, skeptical about whether we would ever make it through to our destination.

We’ve been navigating the waters for a long time now. But the voyage was blessed by tailwinds that propelled our boat onwardand by beacons that lit the abyss looming ahead en route to enlightenment. We encountered the guiding hands of veteran men and women who shared their experience and imparted wisdom. They were our lifelines that we hung onto throughout our expedition until today.

Today marks theconclusion of our trek. Today, the ship safely moors at the dock. At last, we drop the anchor as we have finally -- victoriously-- reached our port of call, not a single man or woman left behind.

We came from all nooks of the world, representing all walks of life, laden with all sorts of ambitions: the swollen, the small, the far-fetched, and the pragmatic. We had nothing in common except the vessel we boarded on two years ago and a drive to achieve and… succeed.

We started our travel asindividuals, and steadily built up a joint history and collective memories for ourselves, ending up as a single, unified unit that is now reaping the rewards of draining all-nighters, frequent panic attacks operating Bloomberg terminals, and countless hours spent preparing for multimedia projects and deciphering financial statements.

Dedication and determination drove us to where we stand now. Speed bumps along the road multiplied with each semester that passed, but we faced them with level-headedness, persistence, and… occasional whining. The more complicated our tasks became, the more responsible we became. And we stronger, because we embodied the forever-resilient spirit of Tsinghua University and embraced its motto, “self-discipline and commitment.”

Today, we celebrate our hard work. But as wedonour graduation gowns and caps, let us put the brakes on the enthrallment, pause for a minute and give credits to those who have taken it upon themselves to mold us into critical thinkers, equip us with the requisite skillsto tackle the world outside our campus walls, and install the seed of self-directed evolution.

The destination we have harbored at today will be the point of departure of another journey commencing soon. As we latch our suitcases to undertake a new endeavor, each in his own uncharted waters, the words of Professors Lee Miller, HangMin, James Breiner, Lu Jia and many,many others will forever reverberate in our minds, chaperoning us every twist and turn of our upcoming life.

Together, the graduating class of 2014 has been through thick and thin, headachesand happiness, hills and hollows, fuss and fun. Tonight, we are heading out with more than just a certificate. We are leaving Tsinghua with recognition from China’s most acclaimed academic institution that we are go-getters, and a validation that we have the factor of excellence.

So off we go into new and fresh ventures, taking up challenge after challenge, to become the change this world needs, for we are proudly Tsinghua graduates. We are the GBJers. We rock.

Thank you.