Ladies and Gentlemen:

Welcome to the 20th kindergarten commencement and the 14th elementary school commencement. Today we especially invite our first year’s students, Annie and Sandy, to host the program. They are some of the best students we ever had and they are our pride. I believe that you have listened to our Rainbow Time program on radios which is hosted by them. Many people told us that they could not tell that they grew up in Taiwan.

Twenty some years ago, Annie and Sandy started their studies at Cornel just like most of your children did at the age of 3. At that time our school was in a very modest condition, but they successfully developed their language skills and now they are proficient in English. Today your children are blessed to have the best English resources at Cornel which has always been on the cutting edge. I am sure that their future is promising.

Recently I attended an enterprise’s grand opening. What impressed me most was a young lad’s speech which was conducted in Chinese, Japanese and English. Watching him switch back and forth among three languages confidently, I couldn’t believe this is the same boy who came to Cornel even before he was three. He stayed with us until he finished his elementary school program and now he is an outstanding and well-rounded young man. On the same day, I encountered another parent who told me excitedly that his two daughters are studying at the most prestigious business school in the world, Waton College. These two young women also started their studies at three, the same as most of your children. In fact, there are many other Cornel graduates who are doing very well no matter if they are in Taiwan or abroad.

Two years ago, the world economic crisis hit Wall Street badly. Many people lost their jobs, but Kang, my eldest son, not only survived but thrived. Last year, many universities in America suffered from finance problems, Chia, my youngest son, received admission with full scholarship to study at Berkeley. Both of them have no American green card or citizenship, and they remained in public school systems through colleges in Taiwan. I am very proud that they outshone many other people from America or other countries.

I used Kang and Chia as examples just because Cornel was established for them twenty some years ago. I hope that I can share my experience with you who are also concerned with education. The world is full of opportunities. When a region in the world is struggling with recession, the other region will pick up its economy. Our young generation can always grab the opportunity when it comes if they are well prepared. They can also easily find jobs in other countries if the economy in their own country suffers. Their future should be bright if they can select the jobs but not to be selected by jobs when they grow up. English is just a tool for communication but it is a key for the global village. I want to congratulate all the parents on the success of your children’s studies. They had a jump-start and they are way ahead of other children in life. The world will be in their hands one day!

Today our teachers and students put a tremendous amount of effort to prepare a very special performance for you. We hope you will enjoy it. I would like to thank all of our dedicated staff who brought the best English education to your children. I would also like to thank all of you who supported the school and encouraged the children to devote their time to learn English. Last, but not least I would like to wish the best for our graduates. God bless you.

Bih-Hua Chen
June 12, 2010

Speech At The Graduation Ceremony 2010