國經學程。IBA
Kseniia Dubinina小雨
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大家早安，謝謝各位今天來參加畢業典禮。
我是一位來自俄羅斯的國際學生，非常榮幸能在東海大學度過這幾年，今天能站在這裡對大家說話，我感到非常感謝與感動。
When I think about graduation, the first word that comes to mind is… fear.
Fear of change, of stepping into something new, of leaving behind the life we've built here.
At Tunghai University, we found a sense of safety. Our days were predictable—we attended the same classes, saw familiar faces, and even ate the same food, week after week, year after year. It was a routine, a bubble of comfort we all grew to love—even during midterms and finals.
And now, that bubble is about to pop.
Even for those of us with a plan, the fear is still there. Maybe you're wondering:
Am I ready for work? Will I like my job? Will I enjoy my Master’s program? Am I good enough for it?
So many questions… and that's okay. Because this isn't the first time we've felt this way.
I still remember my first day at Tunghai. I was nervous, unsure of what to expect. The campus felt massive—I actually got lost and thought I'd be late for my first-ever class. But after that moment of fear, something changed. We adapted. We learned. We grew.
Do you remember your first exam? How nervous you felt? Maybe you barely slept the night before.
I remember mine—it was an accounting quiz. Oddly enough, I wasn’t that nervous because I liked the course and felt prepared. But still, there was pressure. That need to do well. The fear that I was not good enough. And after that first test, the next one didn’t seem quite as scary. We still cared, but we learned how to handle it.
Do you remember how awkward it was trying to make friends in the beginning? Wondering if you'd ever really connect with anyone? But we all took that step. We smiled and asked questions and tried new friendships. And now, look around. The people who were once strangers are now your closest friends. People you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
That’s how we grow—by doing the things that scares us, again and again.
Fear didn’t stop you from showing up, from reaching out, from becoming who you are today.
Fear itself isn't harmful—it’s how we respond to it that matters. Fear can slow us down or keep us awake at night… if we let it. But when we face it—when we acknowledge it, embrace it, and move forward anyway—it loses its power.
Look around you. Your classmates, your professors, the staff—all the people who stood by your side through it all. We didn’t get here alone, and we’re not going forward alone, either.
Personally, I want to thank IC Dean James Sims for his constant positivity and humor. To Professors Annie Tsai and Carol Troy—thank you for your guidance. And to Agnes—thank you for being a steady support to me and to all IBA students these past four years. They’ve all been like guardian angels to me. I hope each of you takes a moment to think of the people who supported you —because you’ve got them too.
So, to my fellow graduates: It’s okay to be scared. It means we’re growing. It means we’re about to do something meaningful.
And just like before—we’ll be okay.
We’ve done it before.
We can do it again.
And thanks to Tunghai University, we’re ready.
God bless you all.
Thank you.
Kseniia Dubinina
June 7, 2025
