My undergraduate time at SJTU was one of the best of my life. As that chapter came to a close, I was incredibly fortunate to have the chance to express my gratitude as the student speaker at the UM-SJTU Joint Institute's graduation ceremony. The words I shared that day serve as a record of those four formative years.
Dear faculty, staff, parents, and fellow students, good morning!
I'm Jingjia Peng, a student of JI Class of 2025. Four years ago, I was lucky enough to receive my admission letter to the Joint Institute, my very first choice. I could never have imagined that one day, I'd be standing here on behalf of my class—and especially, as part of the final cohort to graduate under the name “UM-SJTU Joint Institute.”
People often say we live in an era when history is made every single day. At JI, some even joke that we witness historical changes every day right here. As a dual-degree student, I was at Ann Arbor this spring when the headline news came out. For many of us, those moments were filled with fear, uncertainty, and sadness. But more than anything, what stayed with me was the overwhelming support we received from the JI family. I'll never forget the debriefing meeting the very next day, where our advisor, Shawn, reassured us again and again: “Nothing changes for current JI students.” I'll never forget the town hall meeting organized by the JI Alumni Association, where Professor David, current students, alumni, UM faculty, and international friends all stood with us. They raised their voices not only to share their concerns but also to show their unwavering support. So many emails arrived, sharing resources, events, words of comfort and unity. All of these made us, JI students studying abroad at Michigan, feel safe and supported. In that moment, I truly understood: no matter what kind of historical transformation is happening around us, the JI family is always there.
Looking back on these four years, even though my journey was split across two campuses, I've always felt at home in both places. I still remember walking into the Longbin building for the first time to join the welcome party. I never imagined that just one year later, I'd be guiding freshmen through that same building as their advisor. Or when my team and I organized our Spring Ball, Enigma, gathering hundreds of students, I couldn't have guessed that four years later, those same teammates would be planning the Graduation Gala Night together, bringing us back full circle. Even more surprisingly, when I was writing the Student Union's annual report two years ago, I had no idea that I would later find my summer internship at ByteDance, through a job post shared by a JI alum on our own JI Career official account. All these events echo with each other, and I'm incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such valuable opportunities, resources, and platforms that JI has offered us over the years.
If you've been listening closely, you might have noticed I've used the word “family” quite a few times. Today marks the moment when we will wave goodbye to one another. After this ceremony, we will no longer carry the title of “JI student”, but we will always carry the bond of this family. So I want to encourage everyone here: let's stay connected, no matter where we go, and no matter what changes may happen. Because our family, our memories, our building, and our dreams will always be here.
Lastly, I want to end with a line from Shakespeare that also inspired the theme of our Graduation Gala: “What's past is prologue.” As we step off the stage of Longbin building and into the future, let's carry with us the gratitude for all that JI has given, and the excitement for the journey that lies ahead. Thank you for listening!