Graduation Success丨Congratulations Class of 2019!

A notable mention must go to our arts graduates who once again travel to many of the world’s leading art, design and music institutions. Our US bound artists will be heading for Parsons School of Design (NY), The School of Visual Arts (NY), OTIS School of Design (LA) and our UK contingent will add to growing numbers of Wellington Tianjin graduates at the University of the Arts London as they commence courses at Central St Martins and London College of Communication. Our US art school applicants were also happy to receive nearly 1 Million RMB in scholarships and additional offers for Top 25 ranked art schools which included Pratt Institute (NY) California College of Art & the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The breadth and depth of university support and expertise is highlighted by success in our Australian applications with offers from the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne and from Canada’s number one ranked university, the University of Toronto. As always, we have great confidence that our Korean applications later in the year will be just as successful as ever.

A school’s graduation ceremony is always a bittersweet moment. It is hard for a school and its students to say goodbye to one another, but at the same time it offers the school community a chance to recognise the achievements of the graduating class and to celebrate with them for one last time their contributions to school life over the years. Wellington College in Tianjin’s class of 2019 enjoyed their ceremonial departure from the school on Friday 24th May, with an event that mixed emotional farewells, rousing speeches and memorable performances by the student body. 

The Master, Mr Julian Jeffrey, commented afterwards that, “graduation can be a frightening step, given the certainties students get from their school, but I know that these young people have the tools to cope with such a change. They have grown up in a school which has supported them, challenged them, encouraged them and fostered in them a spirit of adventure that makes them ready to meet their new worlds head on.”

The evening was led by the Head of the Sixth Form and university admissions, Mrs Jayne Sabio. In her address to the graduates, she told the story of the cracked pot, which leaked and never felt as adequate for the task of carrying water as its unbroken counterpart. The moral of the story was that, unlike the pot, our graduating class should not always seek to compare themselves to others, but rather understand their unique qualities and use these to build a great future for themselves. Her advice was supported by our guest of honour for the evening, Mrs Echo Jin, the CFO for Microsoft China. Mrs Jin’s passed on some thoughtful insights about the challenges of the next steps into university life, but also offered some broader points on how to lead a life that was rich in itself and that could give fulfilment and purpose to the individual. 

The theme of all the major speeches revolved around a very Wellingtonian concept of being true to yourself. Mr Jeffrey, in his address, reminded the graduates that the way they conducted themselves was important in itself; they had been educated with Wellington values at the heart of their learning, and that, “things that are timeless, like hard work, an active engagement in the subject, building mutually respectful relationships and having clear goals will never fall out of fashion. Values remain central to the development of an individual. They matter because they give substance and meaning to life.”

The ceremony was focused on celebrating the achievements of the graduating class, and each of the 30 new Old Wellingtonians was greeted in turn by a short speech of tribute from the teacher who knew them best - their Housemaster or mistress. The speeches were heartfelt tributes, offering a warmth and insight that suggested the speakers really knew their charges and wanted to express their admiration for all their had done in their time with us. The rousing cheers and applause from the audience of parents, friends and pupils from the Senior School for each graduate was a further sign of the affection these young people have bred in the hearts of our community. The three most senior pupils in the school, the Head and Deputy Heads of the College, rounded off the formal part of the ceremony with a wonderfully moving address on behalf of their peers. 

As is now customary, the evening was completed with a buffet meal for the graduates, their families and teachers. Accompanying the meal were a series of musical performances which once again served to emphasise the enviable talent in performing arts in the school and represented a fitting end to their time at Wellington. Our graduates all move on to fresh and exciting challenges at some of the world’s leading universities, but they will remain Wellingtonians throughout their lives and the whole school community wishes them every success for the future.