尊敬的张望兰女士、Leland校长先生以及在座的各位老师、家长和同学，早上好！
首先祝贺12年级的同学们和家长们，今天是瑞得福首届高中生毕业的日子，对于你们来说是一个“big day”，是个欢乐的日子，是属于你们的一天！
很荣幸今天被邀请作为家长做分享，第一次做这样的演讲，很期盼，很紧张，会不会成为像乔布斯在斯坦福大学、JK罗琳在哈佛大学那样的毕业演讲经典？
白驹过隙，回想起四年前，我们和很多家长一样焦虑，决定要走哪一条教育的道路，决定哪一所学校，很幸运我们选择了当时全新的瑞得福。强大的师资队伍、规范严谨的治学风格、良好的学习和生活的环境。祝贺深圳瑞得福学校，一步步走向了当年的愿景：办华南地区最好的美式教育的学校！
从给孩子们选择学校起，我们认识了很多很有学识的家长朋友，我们一起交流孩子的教育问题，像小博（Berton）妈妈、泓洋（ Vincent）妈妈、陈诺（ Alan）妈妈等，尤其是我们的家长会的会长齐爸爸（Billy），他给了我们很多的升学指导。教育从来不只有学校，还需要家长一起努力。
这四年，也是我与太太和孩子一起成长的四年，我们很欣慰选择了这么一条新的教育道路。如果说有一种教育是人与人之间的竞争，那么也有一种教育是和自己的竞争，去发挥自己最大的优势、去发展自己最大的兴趣爱好、被鼓励自由地创意和思考；如果说有一种教育仅仅是为了提高考试分数，那么也有一种教育是在培养孩子独立的人格、合作精神、强烈的社会责任感......
这四年里，我也很享受能和孩子一起讨论有些作业的过程，我们一起探讨过《制作一张维多利亚时代的报纸》、《自己设计一个实验或调查》、《研究一位感兴趣的领导人物》、《哪个古代文明对当今世界影响最大》、《写一部宪法》、《用“违法”的方式维权是否有效》以及机器人制作，等等，还有很多。嗯，这样的讨论，非常考验当爸爸的知识储备。
不过我保证，所有作业的每一个字都是孩子自己写的，因为有时候我们的观点并不一致。
这些有趣的作业正是那些有趣的老师们布置的，这里我们还要感谢这些可爱的老师们，Dr.Lee Carrol，Dr.Steve Hudson，Dr.Tim Allen，Mrs.Tippetts，Mr. Leland，Mr.Ruch，Mr.Miller，Mr.George....还有很多.
Even跟我和他妈妈提到最多的还有几位可爱的老师，他们亦师亦友，还是孩子们的大哥哥、大姐姐，他们就是Even的班主任Apple老师、Remy老师和Rain老师。我想，其他班级的班主任老师亦是如此。他们尽心尽责，是家长、孩子、学校联系的纽带，他们记录并分享了孩子们的成长点滴，照顾好了每一个孩子，让所有的家长们放心。
中国有句古话：“一日为师终身为父“，希望孩子不要忘记瑞得福的老师们，中国还有一句古话：“桃李满天下”，祝瑞得福的老师们“桃李满天下”。
孩子们，你们是今天聚会的主角，祝贺你们，今天你们的多项能力已经超越了同龄时的你们的父母，我也知道，这四年你们很辛苦。对于美国孩子来说本该如此的事情，对于中国孩子却是需要付出很大的努力才能站在同一起跑线上。比如英语，对于方块文字国家的孩子来说，学习字母文化不是件容易的事情；比如说SAT考试，每参加一次SAT考试，就需要出国一次，需要花费不菲的成本和克服旅途的劳累；比如说要完成很多小论文，需要极强的资料搜集整理和归纳总结的能力，非常严谨的学术规范，这些也是中国孩子需要化很大努力来提升的。所以你们经常在凌晨一点入睡。
幸运的是，你们走过来了，付出总有回报。有一天你对我说：老爸，当我能用英语来搜索互联网时，感觉世界向我打开了一个窗口。是的，世界上能掌握两种语言、经历过两种文化的人是不多的，而你们就是，所以你们思考问题时会更多一个视角。
孩子们，高中毕业是人生的一个重要转折点，意味着从明天开始你们将独立走向社会，因为你们的父辈们大多数没有留学经历，你们正走向一片你们父母也未曾涉足过的天地，所以，你们准备好了吗？
这四年里，要问我最为Even高兴的是什么？不是GPA4.0，不是奖学金，不是波士顿学院的offer，而是那次的FRC比赛。那次比赛跌宕起伏，胜利、失败、各种意外，你和你的队员们经历了太多，以后你们的人生也将会有类似的经历，而且相信你们也会勇敢地处理它们，无经历不成长，我希望在你年轻时能遇到更多的失败。
是的，那是一次完美的失败！
所以说，我觉得你们应该已经做好了独立走向世界的准备，即使这世界没有如你所愿，也是最好的安排，成就你的不是某所大学，而是你自己。还记得你们在申请大学时写的文书吗？如果你是认认真真写的话，那里有你的价值观、有对人生的态度，不要抛弃它们，它们会帮你度过人生的困难时刻。
我知道你们今后的路还会很艰苦。很久前我问Dr.Carroll，她回答我：美国大学要比现在辛苦20倍。我也跟Dr.Hudson交流过，他说美国大学要比现在苦3倍。也许Dr.Hudson要比Dr.Carroll聪明6.6倍，但是不管怎么说，一定是非常辛苦，所以需要你们有一副健康的体魄。刚才我说希望你们超越当年的父辈，但是有一样东西千万不要，那就是你的体重！
在不久前有个重要的中国节日——“五四青年节”，在那一天我跟我年轻的同事们说：这个世界之所以能发展，就是因为年轻人不听父母的话；这个世界之所以能发展，是因为年轻人无所畏惧！最后我想再重复一遍在亦凡18岁生日时的留言：
不要怕！不要悔！
再次祝福所有站在全新起点的孩子们！
谢谢大家！
英文译文
Good morning! Mrs. Mona Zhang, Mr. Leland Anderson, parents, students, teachers, and broad members. Today is a big day for all 12th graders as all of you will finally graduate from high school!I’m Evan’s dad. This is my first time, and It is an honor to be invited as a parent speaker. I am thrilled to share this speech to all of you.
It would be nice if this speech ends up like those speeches that Steve Jobs or JK Rowling delivered at Stanford or Harvard.
Time flies. I was just as most of the parents were four years ago, hesitating among different paths that will give my child a completely different future. We had the fortune to choose RDFIS. This school has excellent staff members, well organized classes, and great learning and living environment. In my eye, this school has grown stronger to full fill its dream of becoming the best International school in Southern China!
From the beginning of this incredible 4-years journey, we have come to connect with some great parents along the way. Parents like Berton’s mom, Vincent’s mom, Alan’s mom, and Billy’s dad who is currently head of parent committee. These parents and more others shared and discuss valuable ideas with us. Education is never just the school. It also needs the ideas from parents.
I have grown over the fouryears with Evan and his mom. We feelgrateful to have chosen this path. If there is a type of education that teaches people to rival each other, there is another type thatencourages self-challenging, developing interests, and encourage freedom of thinking and creativity. If there is a type of education that exists only for tests, there is another type that cultivates independent personalities, corporation, and social responsibilities.
I enjoyed the discussion with Evan about his different assignments over the four years. We talked about his homework topics such as “Newspaper from Victoria time”, “Designing an experimental study”, “researching for a good leader”, “Write a constitution”, “which ancient civilization creates most impact to the world today.”, “illegally protecting legal rights”, “build a robot”, and more. These discussionsare also a challenge of a father’s knowledge.
And of course, Evandoes all his workson his own eventually,because we don’t sometimesend up with an agreement.
Through the discussion with Evan about these interesting topics, I also had a chance to know some great teachers at RDF. Like Dr.Lee Carrol，Dr.Steve Hudson，Dr.Tim Allen，Mrs.Tippetts，Mr. Leland，Mr.Ruch，Mr.Miller，Mr.George… and more.
I would also like to give my appreciation to Evan’s Homeroom teachers Mrs. Remy, Mr. Rain, and Ms. Apple. I believe that all homeroom teachers here truly care about students. And they have also become a good friend of those students, or even as brothers and sisters. They are responsible for student living, connect our parents to the school, and they record the growth of theirstudent.
There is an old Chinese saying: “ One day as teacher, life-long father”,I wish all the students feel grateful for their teachers. There is another old saying: “桃李满天下”which means that the gardeners (as teachers) will have theirpeaches and apples (as students) all over the world. I wish all the teachers to gain such accomplishments.
All graduating students! Today is all about you. I give you my biggest congratulation as all of you have done better than you parents were at your age. I understand that these 4 years are not easy foryou. You spent so much effort to learn concepts that US students already know. It is not easy for you to learn another language in just 4 years. You have traveled long distance, sacrificing times and money for SATs. You did a lot to get yourself used to the academic environment at US. Every research paper needs tons of reference collection and some serious formatting. This is also what keeps you awake during late nights.
Luckily, all of you did it! After all these hardships in learning, you have earned your reward. I am very happy to hear from Evan about how exciting he is to understand English searchengines. The world is opening up in front of him.You have become the great combination of two languages and various cultures. You begin to think from a different perspective.
Students, high school graduation marks a major turning point in your life. This means that you are mature enough to face the society alone. Maybe you are going to a place to experience something that your parents never experienced before. So, Are you ready?
Speaking of what I proud most about my child’s high school life. I would say that It is not his GPA, nor scholarships or college offers. It ishisexperience during First Robotics Competition. I am happy because he and his team experienced success, failure, accidents. All those ups and downs is what you all will be experiencing in life. You all learn inmistakes. And I hope that you will experience more failure while you are still young, that means more growth for you!
Anything is incomparable to what you willget out of failure.
At this point in time, I think that you should have prepared to step into this bigger world. Even though the world may not be what you wished, you can still make the most out of it. It is you that finally accomplished yourself, not the university. Do you still remember what you write in your personal statement?That contains your value, attitude, and all that you believed in to get through tough times in your life.
There is still a long way to go. I once asked Dr. Carroll and she said that U.S. College is 20 times harder than highschool. I talked to Dr. Hudson too, he said that U.S. College is 3 times harder than high school. Now, May be Dr. Hudson is 6.6 times smarter than Dr. Carroll, butuniversity is definitely full of challenge. So,you will surely need a heathy living for that intense learning environment.
Not long ago there is China’s youth day at 4th of May. I talked to my colleague that the reason that this world keeps developing is that the younglings never listen to their parents. The world is becoming better because our next generation are fearless. I want to repeat here what I said to Evan at his 18th birthday:
Do not afraid, and never regret.
Again, I send my best wish to all the students who will soon begin the next chapter of their life.
Thank you for listening.
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