First, I want to congratulate all of the new National Chinese Honor Society members. You are the selected ones. As we all know, you need an average grade of 90 or above to be eligible for the application. To me, it is not just about the grade, but your love for Chinese language and culture; it is about your perseverance for academic excellence; it is about your belief in the National Chinese Honor Society. I want you to know that you are the best and I am so proud of you.
Next, I want to share three wishes I have for you. I hope that learning the Chinese language can help you connect you with the 1.3 billion people in China. As Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his native language that goes to his heart.” In the future, when you will have a chance to visit China and speak to Chinese people, you will be able to form a bond with them immediately, even though may look different. When you say, "Ni hao! Xie xie," you will make them feel like you are old friends.
I hope you will find happiness and simple joy from the beautiful calligraphy of Chinese characters and the magical sound of the Chinese four tones. As you know, high school and college preparation can be stressful and intense. But I want you dig deep into Chinese philosophy and culture to gain strength and peace. Confucius said, "If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else."
This leads to my third wish. I hope you will become a leader to serve people around you and to make the world a better place. In our honor society, every member is special and talented in many ways. I encourage you go out to find a way to serve. For instance, my current officers helped to set up today's induction and my new officers helped to make our Chinese flag by using a table cloth and construct paper. Isn't that creative? In my class, I also see my members help students who are struggling in Chinese by explaining things to them. This is all small thing, but it not only demonstrates your love and care for others, but also your servant leadership. This is an important life skill, which good universities and companies are looking for.
Lastly, I want to thank Ms.Campbell, Mr.Perskin, Ms. Sirulnick . Mr.Lorusso and Ms Miller for making this happen. As you know, my baby boy just turned one year old. This honor society is like my other baby, and today it just turned two years old. I started this from scratch with the support and help of my dear colleagues, administrators, and my officers and their parents.
Congratulations again to the new members! I am looking forward to the new journey with you. I love you all.
谢谢。