毕业生演讲是毕业典礼上最重要的环节，它包含着毕业生们对高中生活的总结，更包含着对未来新生活的展望。

每年的毕业季，HFI都会向全体毕业生征集“毕业生代表演讲稿”，每一篇演讲稿都宛若夜空群星，既有着毕业生们共同的回忆，又闪烁着属于作者本人的思想之光。

群星自当闪耀，我们将部分2024届毕业生演讲稿收集整理，以供大家一窥HFI学子们的风采。

2024届毕业典礼致辞

2024届毕业生 刘子柔

录取院校：北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校

大家好，我是刘子柔Yoyo。首先感谢在场所有人的到来。在我们尚未完全明白“毕业”二字的含义之前，现场已经有那么多人来参加一个隆重的典礼为我们庆祝了。

我时常怀疑世界是否只是一个运行着的程序，而我们只是不断刷新数据库的NPC。否则，为什么当我开始回顾过去三年时，感觉什么都没发生，但又什么都发生了呢？托福写作改革、SAT正式转机考、大半年的网课、疫情的彻底爆发和彻底开放——所有的这些经历似乎都已逐渐在脑海中淡去。然而，我们过往的经历并不是被忘却了，而是已经化为点滴构筑成了现在的我们。

我仍记得高一时我们的青涩，在班级照上都笑得腼腆。在HFI新生大会上，我甚至孜孜不倦地把ppt上的每张幻灯片都拍了下来，在手机上保存了34位教职工的大头照直至今日。然后我发现，“图片仅供参考，请以真人为准”（我的意思是真人比照片更美哦）。这是我入学HFI以来的第一个惊喜。

在那之后，我收获了更多的惊喜。我认识了厉害的同学、温柔的老师，我在社团里找到了志同道合的伙伴，在学校大大小小的演出中见证了同龄人的才艺与自信。我看到同学们用艺术、激情和奇思妙想改造了校园。这也是我喜欢HFI的一点：这是一个自由开放的国度，任何积极的尝试都是被欢迎的。我也拥抱了挑战，比如凭借热情和真诚竞选我从未想过的学生会主席职位，并且幸运地成功了，为我打开了全新的有关领导力、人际关系和社区服务的大门。

我也曾迷茫，为还没发生的大学申请和生活忧虑，感觉现在虚无缥缈。然而，当我花了很多时间完成的作业得到A+时，当我和朋友们一起享受美食时，当我在课堂讨论上的发言得到认可时，当我看到美丽的晚霞而激起灵感写了一首小诗时，我感到这世界是真实的。当每天早上我在宿管一声声的“赶紧撤”下不情不愿地起床时，当我飞奔跑向早八的教室时，当我在晚自习偷偷摸摸打一两把游戏时，当我深夜一点还坚持赶着昨天十二点截止的作业时，我也感到这世界是真实的。

我们的生活由琐碎平凡的时刻构成，但我们又能在这些微小中窥得更宏大的世界。我们在与朋友偶然的交谈中获得灵感，我们创造性地写作，我们投身于我们热爱的社团和组织，我们研究社会话题并撰写学术论文。我们既关心校园里的猫，也关心国际形势；我们既在乎自己的幸福，也在乎社会上的少数群体。我们所学不止于学术。

自从选择出国留学以来，我们被各种各样的信息包围着——学长学姐的吐槽、父母的期待、老师的推荐——但我们还是勇敢迈出了自己的步伐。只有自己经历了痛苦和快乐，我们才有自己的理解和成长。我们逐渐学会教育是对社区的承诺、对各个群体的关注、对他人的尊重、对自己更多的了解。我们在一遍遍痛苦的反思中领悟到，教育的终点——如果它有终点的话——应是人性而非某个大学。

我们经历了各种考试的、招生的、社会的变革，我们也曾焦虑担忧。但是回首过去，我们为此能做的就是把握时间，保持自身不断的进步，以积极的心态面对变化，相信变化是更好的开端。我觉得这句话非常有道理：“十年后的你会感谢现在努力的自己”。

对于我们现在取得的成就，除了努力聪明的自己，还离不开一路上所有人的支持。

感谢我们的父母。我时常惊讶于你们的成就（比如攒足够多的钱送我读国际学校）。无论在情感上还是经济上，你们都是我们坚实的后盾。你们无私地呵护着我们的身心健康。你们常常在经意或者不经意间就教会了我们生活的奥义，而现在轮到我们继承你们的智慧，开启自己的旅程了。虽然我们有时也会争吵，但请记住我永远爱你们。

感谢我们的老师。你们所教导的远远不止是课本上的内容。你们的和善与专业凝聚成了一种独特的人格魅力。谢谢你们营造了一个鼓励性的学习氛围，关注到课堂上的每一位同学，还偶尔投喂我们。不能参加每一位老师的课是一种遗憾。

至于我的同学们，“在HFI完成三年学业”只是毕业证上的一行字，但这一行字的背后是每一个人独特而精彩的故事。有人组建了自己的乐队参加演出，有人成为了国家二级运动员，有人斩获了国际大赛金奖。也有人每月都会去新的城市漫步，有人在每周末探索不同的美食店，有人则捕捉下了每天的朝霞与夕阳。无论你对生活的选择如何，我都想告诉你们，你们真的很棒，从各个意义来说都是（尤其是在HFI顽强存活了三年这一点上）。感谢三年来的互帮互助，感谢我们间每一个激发灵感的讨论，感谢你们的优秀和才华促成我前进的动力（或者压力）之一。

回到最初的问题，我们现在明白毕业是什么含义了吗？每个人都会有不同的回答。

高中毕业可以意味着一切：你长大了，你得离开熟悉的父母和家（同时父母也得离开熟悉的你），面对不同种族不同语言的人，适应异国他乡的生活。

高中毕业也可以什么都不意味着。你仍然是你父母心爱的小孩，你仍然有一个温暖的家，你仍然是那个有着无限潜力的少年。高中毕业只是你漫长旅程中的一小段，一个和往后比起来相当朴实的里程碑。

毕业最大的意义是，在这一刻，我们为自己而自豪。我们既不生在最好的时代，也不生在最坏的时代，我们生在我们的时代。我们是自己生活的主人。我们肯定过去的努力并对未来充满信心，相信我们已经有能力面对下一个人生阶段，哪怕这伴随着忧虑和不确定性。

我曾经读到过一句话：“向后看理解生活，向前看才能生活”。后面我思考了很久，补上了两句：“向左看拥抱你爱的人，向右看珍惜爱你的人”。今天就是我们向左向右向前向后看的日子。祝愿同学们往后无论向哪看，都能找到自己的方向。2024届，毕业快乐！

First of all, thank you to everyone present. Even before we fully understand the meaning of "graduation," so many people have gathered here to celebrate this grand ceremony with us.

I often wonder if the world is just a running program, and we are NPCs constantly refreshing the database. Otherwise, why is it that when I look back on the past three years, it feels like nothing has happened, yet everything has? The TOEFL writing reform, the official switch to computer-based SAT exams, half a year of online classes, the sudden outbreak and reopening of the pandemic—all seem to gradually fade from memory. Yet our past experiences have not been forgotten; they have transformed into building blocks that have shaped who we are today.

I still remember us smiling shyly in class photos in the first year. At the very first introductory assembly, I even diligently took photos of every slide in the PowerPoint, resulting in 34 headshots of teachers and staff preserved in my phone till nowadays, only to later discover the disclaimer, "Images are for reference only; please refer to the real person" (I mean real people are even more beautiful than their photos). That was my first surprise since joining HFI.

Following that, I encountered even more surprises. I met talented classmates and kind teachers, found like-minded partners in clubs, witnessed the talent and confidence of my peers in various performances, and saw schoolmates transforming the campus with art, passion, and creativity. This is one aspect of HFI that I cherish—it's a free and open land where any positive endeavor is welcomed. I also embraced challenges, such as running for a student council president position I never thought of before, and fortunately succeeded, opening doors to new experiences in leadership, connections, and community service.

I've also had moments of confusion, worrying about future university applications and life, feeling a sense of emptiness in the present. However, I feel that the world is real when I get an A+ on an assignment I spent lots of time with, enjoy delicious food with friends, receive recognition for my contributions in class discussions, or get inspired to write a poem by a beautiful sunset. The world also feels real when I reluctantly wake up to the dorm supervisor's "hurry up" every morning, rush to an 8 a.m. class, sneak in a game during night study sessions, or persistently work for a midnight deadline at 1 a.m.

Our lives are made up of small, mundane moments, yet within these moments, we glimpse a broader perspective. We find inspiration in casual conversations with friends, compose creatively, engage in clubs and organizations we love and value, explore social issues, and write academic papers. We care about the cats on campus while paying attention to global affairs. We care about our own well-being while listening to the voices of marginalized communities in society. We learned more than academics.

Since choosing the international study, we have been surrounded by various information—seniors' complaints, parents' expectations, teachers' recommendations—but we bravely forged our own paths. Only after experiencing the pain and joy by ourselves can we now have our own understanding and growth. We have learned that education is a commitment to the community, caring for various groups, respecting others, and understanding ourselves better. Through painful reflections, we realize that the end of education, if it ever has an end, should be humanity instead of university.

We have weathered changes in exams, admissions, and society, experiencing anxiety and worries. Looking back, all we can do is seize the day, strive for continuous improvement, face changes with a positive mindset, and believe that change heralds a better beginning. The proverb " Ten years from now, you will be grateful to yourself for your hard work" truly resonates with me.

For our achievements, we owe gratitude not only to our diligent and intelligent selves but also to the support of everyone along the way.

Thank you to our parents. I am constantly amazed by your accomplishments (like saving enough money to send me to an international school). You are our solid support, both emotionally and financially. You selflessly nurture our physical and mental well-being. You often impart the wit and wisdom of life both intentionally and unintentionally. Now it's our turn to inherit your wisdom and embark on our own journeys. Despite occasional arguments, please remember that I will always love you.

Thank you to our teachers. You have taught us far more than what's in the textbooks. Your kindness and professionalism have shaped a unique charm. Thank you for creating an encouraging learning environment, paying attention to every student in class, and occasionally treating us. Not being able to attend every teacher's class is a regret.

As for my classmates, "completing three years of study at HFI" is just a line on our graduation certificates, but behind that line lies everyone's unique and wonderful story. Some have formed their bands and performed at festival, some have become national-level athletes, and some have won international competitions, while some take monthly city walks in new places, others explore different food spots at weekends, and some capture the beauty of sunrise and sunset every day. Regardless of your choices in life, I want to tell you that you are truly amazing in every sense (especially for surviving three years at HFI). Thank you for the mutual support over the past three years, for the inspiring discussions, and for being a driving force (or pressure) for my progress with your excellence and talents.

Returning to the initial question, do we now understand the meaning of graduation? Each person will have a different answer.

High school graduation can mean everything: you are now an adult, leaving behind familiar parents and home (while parents also bid farewell to the familiar you), encountering people of different races and languages, and adapting to life in a foreign land.

High school graduation can also mean nothing. You are still your parents' beloved child, you still have a warm home, and you are still that young person with unlimited potential. High school graduation is just a small segment of your long journey, a modest milestone compared to what lies ahead.

The greatest significance of graduation is that, at this moment, we are proud of ourselves. We are not born in the best of times or the worst of times; we are born in our time. We are the masters of our own lives. We acknowledge our past efforts and have confidence in our future selves, believing that we are capable of facing the next phase of life, even amidst worries and uncertainties.

I once read a quote: "Look back to understand the life, look forward to live a life." After much contemplation, I'd add: "Look left to embrace those you love, look right to cherish those who love you." Today is a day for us to look back, look forward, look left, and look right. I wish all my classmates the best in finding their paths, no matter which direction they choose to look at. Class of 2024, congratulations on your graduation!