Founders Speech, 2019 High School Graduation
Philip Sohmen
Dear Honoured Guests, Parents, Teachers, Students - Good afternoon!
Today is a wonderful moment in time, I don’t know who is more excited to be here today: you, our students finishing your high school studies – for some of you I’m sure you may feel it’s too soon and for others, you have been waiting for this moment for a long time! Or our parents, watching their children graduate after so many years of efforts and support. For me, graduation is my favourite time of year to celebrate what our students have accomplished. This year is especially meaningful as it is the first year that we have students graduating who have studied at Pao School for 12 years from Year 1 to Year 12. A special congratulations to you all, I’m proud of you!
Our Dream and Our Success
When we established Pao School 12 years ago in 2007, we had a dream to be a world-class school for tomorrows China. When people ask what I look at to judge our success, I always say what’s most important is what our students are able to achieve. Those students here today have:
A wonderfully diverse breadth of interests. For example, our Y12 students showed outstanding talent in the IB art exhibition. Many commented that there were several works of art on show that would not have looked out of place in a professional gallery. In the International Schools Choral Music Society Concert at the Shanghai Symphony Hall, one of our graduates was the first violinist. Two of our Year 12 students have completed their Gold Awards as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. Every day across the globe some 1800 young people start this award programme but only a very few reach the highest level of Gold. We are happy to see students pursuing a wide range of studies from maths, science, economics and business, to film, music composition, physiology, geography and environmental studies. This diversity of interests is the result of a Pao School Whole Person Education which has allowed the students “the freedom of opportunities” to explore subjects that have captured their interest and fascination.
In terms of university applications this year, we saw a wide geographic spread of offers which is genuinely global. These include leading US universities such as Vanderbilt, NYU, UCLA, Berkeley and Georgia Tech; some of the UK’s best universities including Imperial, UCL and King’s College; top universities in Canada (Toronto, UBC and McGill) and in Australia (Melbourne and Sydney), which is proof of our school’s mission of Fostering An International Perspective.
Our students are also Passing On Traditions of Chinese Culture. They have been Zhi Xing Week for the past a few years. As they travel around China, students get a chance to experience cultures in different regions, to the beautiful rivers and mountains of the country and cultural sites, gaining a deeper understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture. I am confident that we are succeeding in turning our dream to reality, your successes are our proof of that. As you depart to the corners of the world, remember that you are the ambassadors for Pao School.
Sailing to the Future
Once you leave this room you will be sailing out on the next stage of your life. Some of you may have heard of the Volvo Round-The-World Sailing Race. As you leave here today, you will be starting your own round-the-world race. You will be travelling to new destinations in far-away countries, then perhaps onto another destination in some other country, before finally returning home. Like those sailors, you will encounter many challenges – sunny days, rainy days, stormy days and big waves that threaten to turn your boat upside down. Personally, I have always had a love of sailing and I’d like to share four sailing tips to survive the wind and waves and to succeed:
Safety first – don’t put yourself into a dangerous situation by trying to sail too fast, or too close to a storm. The boat that sinks is never the winner.
Planning – without a clear plan and navigation, it is hard to reach the port far away. Remember to check where you’ve come from, where you are and where you are heading.
Teamwork – in sailing teamwork is essential. In the sailing race of life, very few people succeed on their own. You will need to work with team-mates on the boat – your friends, your colleagues - as well as your team onshore - your parents and family.
Courage – you’ll be confronted by unknown or unexpected situations. In those situations, it is your own mental attitude that will make the difference, and you will need courage. Don’t worry, however, in case the winds become very strong, just remember that Pao school has provided you a lifejacket – this lifejacket is our values: Compassion, Integrity, Balance, and they will help you to stay afloat in the sea. So make sure to wear this lifejacket at all times and don’t be afraid to use it when needed.
I wish you all smooth sailing!
