Embracing Diversity: How Feng Chia University Brought Us Together

My journey began six years ago, when I moved from the crowded skyline of Hong Kong to the bustling city of Taiwan. Back then, I was just an immigrant--an outsider looking in, wondering whether or not I'd ever really be able to fit in. But looking about at all on you now--this sea of caps and gowns, I don't see 'locals' or 'foreigners.' I see one big community that took me in and made me one of its own. Now matter how far or near you are from Taichung, whether it's just a ten minutes away or took a long journey to get here. Today, we all share the same title: Feng Chia Graduates.

So, tell me, What does it mean to be a student at Feng Chia? It means we share a unique geography. We are experts at sprinting through the Night Market crowds to reach our lectures. We discovered that our most important lessons weren't always in a textbook, but in staying up late at night and having a bite of food with each other outside this place. Every one of us, regardless of our major, has faced the same things. We battled midterms stress, fought hard through wild group projects, and that specific moment of panic when we realized a deadline was closer than we thought. We've walked the same paths across campus, watched the seasons change the trees outside the library, and felt the same growing excitement as this day approached. Our departments gave us our skills, but this campus gave us our character.

At Feng Chia University, I've realized the community isn't a puzzle where you must fit a certain shape; it's a symphony, where every unique instrument contributes to a grander harmony.

As someone who once called myself an immigrant, I learnt that home is a place where different perspectives are welcomed. At FCU, I saw that every day. I've seen students from different backgrounds helping one another bridge language gaps, cultural gaps, and technical gaps. We learnt to adapt. For those of us who moved here from elsewhere, we learned to navigate a new society. For those who grew up here, you learned to open your world to us. That's what's special about our university. It teaches us that in the real world, the most successful person isn't just the smartest one in the room-it's the one who knows how to listen, how to collaborate, and how to make others feel they belong.

So, Class of 2026, we are stepping into a world that often feels divided--a real world that desperately needs bridge-builders--people like us. The good news is, that's already what we have been doing here. We know how to thrive in a diverse environment. We know how to turn a stranger into a classmate, and a classmate into a lifelong friend.

As you move into your careers-whether you are going into technology, business, public service, or the arts-take that 'FCU openness' with you. Be the one who welcomes the newcomer. Be the leader who values a different perspective.

Remember that your identity is not just what you do for a living, but how you treat the people around you.

Thanks for going this long distance with me. Now go forward in the best way possible and become that person that our world needs! Congratulations to us all!