Congratulations class of 2019!
Good afternoon honored guests, faculty, friends, family and graduates! Years have gone by and today, we are accomplishing one of the greatest achievements in our lives. It is an honor to address this year’s graduating class and represent such a diverse group of students at IULI.
Firstly, allow me to express gratitude to the Almighty God for He is good and let His love endures forever. You have guided us and bring hope even the toughest of times and for that we are grateful. Thank you for your goodness and for your blessings over us.
Secondly, to our parents who have helped us financially, emotionally, and most importantly in motivating us to achieve our dreams. We cannot thank you enough. Mama, Papa, you are everything to me. So, here is to our parents and families, the driving force behind our education and futures, we will forever be indebted to you for all the time, support and love that you have provided us throughout our education and lives.
Thirdly, I’d like to take the time to especially thank the unbelievably supportive faculty that has guided us on our educational path. Thank you to our beloved faculty, teachers, and mentors whom all have made a great impact in our lives. Thank you for guiding and providing us with opportunities.
Lastly, allow me to acknowledge my amazing friends! Thank you for being here with me through this roller coaster ride that I called life. To our friends and classmates, thank you for all the stories, the laughter, the cries, be it for the good and bad times, that we shared, and experienced together. Thank you for simply being our new families away from home and support networks while being in IULI and/or in Germany. Hopefully this friendship will never end and we may support and help one another in the future endeavors.
While I’m standing here, I realize that soon we will no longer have a lecturer that we can ask questions about class or give life lessons, without the campus staff who are selling gorengan or Indonesian fried food when we are starving in the middle of class to the one who are helping us with the academic and non-academic stuff, without friends who have kost or boarding house that we can crash when we are bored at home, studying for exams/doing assignments together until very late well mostly because of gossiping or playing games, or just we simply crave their presence.
All the things that we have learned as a university student, let it be the foundation of us who choose to take another leap into the academic world, or begin our careers, or traveling, or maybe still figuring out what to do. Nonetheless, there is a quote that I would like to share today that I took from one of the best movies of all time, “As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe and keep breathing”. Hopefully this could motivate us all, especially for fellow graduates who will open a new chapter in their life. Whatever things we will take later, wherever we are, how small or big the challenges are out there, hopefully we can continue to believe in ourselves and fight for our dreams. Remember, today, we have surpassed all the boundaries of university, taking with us knowledge that will guide us on our future endeavors in life.
For now, let us celebrate what we have accomplished! Once again, I wish you all the best in your future and congratulations to each and every one of you!
Paula Wendy Carmelita
(International Business Administration, Faculty of Business and Social Sciences Batch 2015).