Speech at the 2nd Graduation Ceremony of AEP

Let me begin with a welcome to our distinguished guests, respected teachers and AEP staff, friends, fellow graduates and beloved parents, a pleasant morning to you all.

These black gowns we’re wearing signify the most important milestone of our academic success—the graduation day. This is the day we finally throw these hats in the air to once and for all say WE DID IT!

It is truly an honor to be standing in front of you today as a chance to send our deep and genuine gratitude to all the lecturers and professors who have intensely perspired in making sure we grasp and hold on to the knowledge we’ve obtained; to the staffs and officials of the Advanced Education Program, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry and the University of California, Davis for making this happen in the very first place. On behalf of the K43, class 2016, THANK YOU TRUTHFULLY AND WHOLE-HEARTEDLY.

I will also take this opportunity to further inspire my brilliant-minded fellow graduates.

This is the day that we look back to our past, review every mistake and every success we have achieved so far, in order to improve the goals we have created and planned to move forward in this long, beautiful, successful life.

To be fair, I will share one of my favorite successes. When I was younger, in a speech I delivered in elementary school; I talked about three mice that fell in a bucket full of water. The first mouse immediately panicked, soon it drowned. The second mouse said “Let’s do something!” but didn’t really attempt to do anything; it only gave up. While the third mouse that had plenty of time to think and witness the mistakes of the other mice, swam as hard as he can then he jump as high as possible. He did it over and over again until he made it. He got out of the bucket, out of the water and he lived.

Well, I don’t know if they can do this in real life, but the moral lesson of this story is that we must never give up in every circumstancethat befall our lives. We must keep pushing, don’t think hard [it’s not enough], think smartly before executing ideas that we believe can change what’s wrong and improve what’s weak.

This day is the very last that we’ll all be together as students, but it certainly is the beginning of the road wherein we enhance our capabilities and broaden our perspectives of what we are called to be in this world.

I was walking around the campus the other day—searching for inspiration worth sharing to what we achieve at this point. Then I realized, as I stood there, I’m STRONG; and as I continue walking, I’ve already overcome FEAR—and for me that is what’s most important.

Tell me, are you going to give a mouse a cookie?

No. Because it’s going to want a glass of milk.

I’m saying that if we gave in to fear, more problems are bound to happen.

This scenario is very relevant to what we are currently facing—as graduates, it is now our duty to put what we have learned into a pot to produce gold.

Working in a professional and self-chosen field can be really tough and scary. Just like everyone else, I’m terrified; but this is not the priority. Determination and small actions are—I believe that small but dynamic performance in a real job is like the rice in a plate of com rang thap cam. It is the most important part of something so great and a start of a growing successful career.

I was lucky to travel to Vietnam, roughly4 years ago. I was young and I was alone, but my determination and hope kept me going until I arrive in Cat Ba Island to meet some of you. I still remember how confused you looked on my first day and how enthusiastic you were in the following days.

Very soon after that, we found ourselves sitting side by side in a classroom either listening to the teachers or answering mind-boggling questions in awfully difficult exams.

It never crossed my mind that I’ll be a part of a diverse community with beautiful, amazing people of Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos and the Philippines; and never even imagined that I’ll be saying “Chao Anh” or “Chao Chi” whenever I see you, my dear classmates.

The Advanced Education Program taught us that diversity among usin nationality is not only a beautiful, important sight, but also a cluster of different ideas, knowledge, ambitions and perspectives that mould each and every one of us to grow as responsible students to soon become efficient graduates.

While Environmental Science and Management have made us realize that we have the biggest and most significant role in the Earth system—to utilize our own outlooks into excellent innovations in response and commitment to a global battle against climate change.

Today I’d also take the opportunity to ask each and every one of you to take a moment and use your imagination. Think of the world where all possible environmental dangers have taken over [drought, climate change, severe storms, etc.]—imagine the water scarce and dirty [not good enough for consuming and drinking]; the forests burnt down and dead; and every organism, flora and fauna species and humans as every day victim of the blazing and suffocating heat of the sun; not to mention food insecurity.

It might be difficult to imagine right now,but how the world feels at this moment and how should it feel in the future is our responsibility. Remember "We are the first generation to grow up learning about it [the global climate change] and we might be the last generation who really get the opportunity to tackle it [to study it and make solutions about it]".

As Environmental Science and Management graduates, we should never stop helping our nature to become healthy once again because the whole wide world is waiting for us to commence as leaders of global movements engaged in a sustainable lifestyle and innovative, pro-environmental development of ourselves, our community, our economy and our nation. The world is waiting.

Before I finish my speech, I would like to extend the “thank you” from my parents for giving us this honor and opportunity to hold a university degree. This is the first time that my father couldn’t witness my graduation day and the second time for my mother. It is heartbreaking, I know, but nevertheless without the Advanced Education Program, the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, and the University of California, Davis—I could never utter the phrase “Let there be light...”

To my classmates, the K43, thank you so much for letting me live and explore your homeland and your culture,and thank you for taking care of me as your cutest em. [:P] Truly, I found both the best of life and the best of me in Vietnam.

This is the time we must step forward and say, "I'm the generation that has the capacity to change and help for the better, healthier world."

Congratulations to all of us! And May the Lord always be with us.

Thank you and good day!