Graduation day is a time of mixed emotions; excitement, pride, relief, along with nervousness at what the future may hold. It may not be at this immediate moment, but chances are our students will look back at their time in Secondary School with fond memories and this quote my help you in understanding why…

‘Your university friends know who you are, but your High School friends know why.’ Anonymous

As our Year 13 graduating class end one chapter of their learning, they can look ahead to the beginning of a new adventure. For many, this means moving from the life they have come to know in China to far-flung destinations, such as Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States, for some it’s an opportunity to return home.

This is a time of great change for our graduating class, but also one to unite and celebrate the hard work and good times that have brought them to this point in their academic journeys.

For this special occasion, we were delighted to bring the YCIS Chongqing community together at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, this year our secondary students and teachers were able to join the celebration with our graduates and their families. Seeing the students celebrating this milestone together was even more joyous considering the disruption brought to our lives by the pandemic over the past two academic years.

Our CEO and School Supervisor, Dr Betty Chan Po-king provided our graduates with some sage advice: ‘I am sure you are all anxious and eager to leap into the future. Wherever you are, in all your pursuits, be curious and creative, be bold and intuitive, be confident and persistent. It is alright to be aggressive and assertive in attaining your goals, but remember, always be guided and grounded by integrity and compassion’.

During the conferral of the diplomas, we heard about our graduates’ successes and where the next stage of their journey will take place. The graduates and all those in attendance were given a truly wonderful valedictorian speech from Brian Ji, our longest attending graduate at YCIS Chongqing and someone who epitomises a lifelong learner and global citizen. We were then treated to a performance, that summed up the class of 2021’s experiences during the IB programme, through dance and adapted lyrics from ‘Baby Shark’ they aptly summed up their experience over the last two years!

Congratulations and very best wishes to the YCIS Chongqing Class of 2021. We are very proud of you and look forward to updates from everyone in the future as you move from graduates to YCIS Alumni.

‘Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.’ Michael Josephson