Dear teachers, parents, staff, and fellow graduates of the class of 2024,

Good afternoon. I am Mia Xinqiao Su and it is my honor to be here.

Congratulations class of 2024! This is the day we have all dreamed of. We can finally say goodbye to HFI and start on our next journey.

On this special day, I would like to share a story about farewell.

Entering HFI is a farewell to the past. Before arrival at Aoxiang Building, we came from different backgrounds. However, the shared goal joined us together here. We left behind the traditional K-12 education system, for some, even leaving hometowns and families, and stepped into Aoxiang Building like Judy first visited Zootopia – Here, everything seemed brand new. Picking a fancy English name, we wished to be a new self and try everything.

Farewell can be exciting. We are dazed by disappearing phone restrictions and flexible course selection policy at HFI. At the same time, our ego is boosted by the ambition to get into every prestigious university. Pausing in front of the orange-and-white board in the lobby, we had the same thought: Hmmmm… Harvard or MIT? This is a question.

Farewell can also be frustrating (hashtag complexity). I still remember the headache after staying up all night before Euro History finals, repeating Mr. Heimler’s “you ready to get your brain cows milked” a hundred times. I remember Matt’s daunting automatic deduction and Delia’s red-covered hot words for SAT as well. On countless sleepless nights, I kept asking myself, why did I leave my comfort zone and transfer to HFI? I could have not been tortured by TOEFL and SAT at all!

So, what truly defines farewell?

Farewell is the reflection on memories. Looking back at this point, we suddenly realized how far we have gone. As the class with the lowest PSAT score ever (according to Wendy), we, the class of 2024, have been associated with numerous stigmas. However, we refuse to let the setback define us. We created unique collages that depict our identity during Fine Arts Week. We found our voice through VOICE competition. We contributed our small parts to children in need through Charity Marathon. Although we may not be capable of changing the world at this time, such as stopping the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, we take pride in making our community a better place.

These are our memories interwoven with collective events as a class. Individually, our memories are more intertwined with the campus. Standing in the lecture hall, I often experience a sense of Deja Vu, taking me back to my first day at HFI -- when principal Sheldon introduced a new uniform policy. I guess everyone here has been caught out of uniforms by either Principal Sheldon or Principal Joseph in the corridor. We witness change on campus: Delia’s king-sized classroom has been split into tiny rooms for Y9 students. A prisoner took away the AP Human Geography classroom (with a photo featuring Mr. Cullen in prisoner’s costume). But we also witness consistency: Mama is still here, probably having been at HFI longer than anyone here. Luroufan still welcomes us every noon, surviving the aftermath of a power outage. Not only have we witnessed all the changes and consistencies on campus, but every corner here has also shaped our stories. From the classrooms where we study the difference between ATC and AVC, to the sport fields where we play Frisbee on Friday afternoons, the school has become part of our youth. When we venture into the unknown, we will carry the shared memories.

Farewell is also the uncertainty of the future. We are leaving familiarity: people we meet every day, places we go every day, and routines we follow every day. We are heading to unfamiliarity: foreign lands, different cultures, and diverse communities. We do not know where we will be in the future -- whether in a decent office in the concrete jungle of New York City, or a tranquil cabin in the dense forest of Norway – What we do know is that, no matter where we go, Matt’s words will always echo in our minds: “the ultimate goal of any hero’s quest is self-discovery.” We cherish the past but still choose to embark on the next mysterious exploration. This is the beauty of farewell.

Most importantly, farewell is the appreciation for relationships. This is an opportunity to say thank you which could have been said, to resolve the misunderstanding which could have been resolved, and to repair the relationship which could have been repaired. It is in these moments of departure that we realize the depth of the connections we have forged and the value attached to them. Things that once bothered us may not hold weight anymore. We still have the chance to draw a happy and fulfilling conclusion to our high school journey, such as inviting someone to take a selfie at tonight’s prom.

Given the privilege of being the valedictorian, I want to use this opportunity to express my most heartfelt gratitude.

Thank you to all the parents. Thank you for opening up the world for us and supporting our naïve decisions. Thank you for paying the college application fee, even though the schools might not even accept us.

Thank you to all the teachers. The question of which Henry became the king at last, or which conditions should be met before using the chi-square test, may not be important to us anymore after completing all the AP exams. What truly matters are the spirit of passion, critical thinking, innovation, courage, and resilience that you imparted to us.

Thank you to all the counselors. Thank you for enduring our procrastination and meticulously editing our college application materials despite the approaching deadline.

Thank you to all the staff. Your efforts are the cornerstone of the school’s daily function.

Thank you my dearest roomies. I know nobody in the world can tolerate my crazy sleeping schedule like you do.

Thank you my friends. You have been the greatest gift throughout my high school years. And you should thank me too, for being a patient listener to your endless lovesick stories.

Finally, thank you my fellow graduates for the memories, the laughter, and the companionship that have defined our time together. We have worked so hard to win recognition from parents, teachers, friends, or maybe crushes. But today, let us recognize ourselves for surviving high school and opening up a brand new chapter in our lives.

As we say our farewells and embrace the endless opportunities, let us remember that endings are also beginnings in disguise. Let us celebrate the memories we hold dear, the friendships that have shaped us, and the lessons that will guide us on our respective paths.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024—may your futures be bright, your dreams be bold, and your hearts forever connected to the place we once called home. 3, 2, 1, chiayou~~