Goodbye, Class of 2024! High School Graduation

On June 2, Dalian American International School and Dalian Huamei School Class of 2024 students walked across the stage in their caps and gowns and received their high school diplomas. It was a special and noteworthy day in the lives of our graduates.

During the Graduation ceremony, students celebrated their hard-won achievements, said goodbye to our community, and listened to the inspiring speeches of their teachers, classmates, Secondary Principal Mr. Burton and the Head of School Dr. Richard Swann, interspersed with beautiful music pieces performed by our school orchestra and choir directed by Ms. Ashley Mims, Ms. Terry Saez, and our alum Peter Zhang.

Dr. Richard Swann, Head of School: “As you leave this place, your goal is to continue to seek wisdom. Don’t just think about it, but actively go out from here and find ways to apply what you know and understand, and most importantly, strive to be consistently persistent. Wisdom comes not by chance, but by consistent persistence. Wisdom comes through the determination to use knowledge with devotion and commitment, as if, with a passionate embrace of what is, what can be and what might be possible.”

Mr. Nathan Burton, Secondary Principal: “Now that you are about to begin your path to new horizons, I would like to offer just a little advice. It is your dreams and your aspirations that provide the lift needed for you to fly. Always remember to travel on the wings of your dreams, working tirelessly to turn them into reality. ”

Dr. Xiaoming Liu, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Physics Teacher: “Your culture, your family, your identity are what you will take with you once you leave here and enter the rest of the world. Be proud of this. Your family is, your teachers are, and so am I.”

Mr. Peter Waldvogel, AP US History Teacher: “This may be the most obvious and important life advice I could give you. Take care of yourself. Eat right, exercise, pursue hobbies and pleasures that build you up and make you better. If you do this, you will dramatically improve the chances of a longer and happier life for yourself and those you love.”

^{Sam Liu}

During the ceremony, the school announced the winners of the most prestigious senior awards. This year's Sea Dragon Award was given to Samuel Liu in DAIS and Amy Fu in Huamei. Ein Sel (DAIS) and Vivi Wu (DHS) have been named Valedictorians. Vivi and Ein were given the honor to say a few words on the stage:

Vivi Wu, DHS Class of 2024: “In response to those who say 'stop dreaming and face the reality' I say 'keep dreaming and make it reality.' Let's go forth and conquer the world!”/p>

Ein Sel, DAIS Class of 2024: “Just be yourself. That’s what we love about you, and that’s what everyone else will love about you as well.”

^{Ein Sel}

Mr. Brandon Iwanyshyn, Dr. Xiaoming Liu and Mr. Jordan Reed delivered their charge to the graduates and the end of the ceremonies:/p>

Mr. Brandon Iwanyshyn, Senior Advisory Teacher and AP Physics Teacher: “This is your time to define your life and show strength in moments of hardship. You are resilient, you are kind, and you possess the power of a positive attitude. As you go forth from this momentous occasion, may you embrace these qualities wholeheartedly and go on to achieve greatness in all that you do.”

Mr. Jordan Reed, AP English Literature Teacher: "Whether you go into a world of literature and letters, the domain of decimals and data, or anything between, remember what you are capable of and know that you have the power to choose your path."

^{Dr. Liu and Mr. Reed}

We want to thank each of our Class of 2024 graduates for being a part of our lives here at DAIS/DHS. Without you, our lives would have been not quite so colorful. You have touched each of our lives in different ways. Now it's time for you to soar from the dragon's nest. Go Sea Dragons! We will watch with anticipation as you go forth and change our world for the better.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024!