By Sylvester Tan
NTU School Art, Design & Media
Class of 2020
Good evening Professor Walsh, faculty, and friends,
I’m honored to be given this opportunity to deliver this speech for the class of 2020. Firstly, I want to congratulate my fellow graduates on reaching an important milestone in your academic journey. Today is a day in which we celebrate the perseverance, sweat, and even tears that went into the hard work which has brought us to where we are today.
At the very beginning of our ADM journey, some of us had a very clear picture of what kind of designers or artists we wanted to be and some of us were just discovering what that was. But one thing was extremely clear, that ADM had given us different opportunities and provided us a safe space to explore, to experiment, to fail, and to learn. I still remember after the fun and exciting ADM orientation camp was over, we were struck with the reality that we were no longer in Junior College or Polytechnic. Our classes were in full swing, we were in for long hours of foundation classes where we had to force our creative juices to flow. For people who had no prior art and design background or skill set, myself included, it was especially challenging having to put in extra time and hard work to have a level playing ground in our field.
Hence, I would like to thank the people who have guided and supported us through this journey. I was very fortunate to meet lecturers and professors who greatly helped their students along the way. Somehow, they always knew how to bring out the best in us. Whether it was just simple motivational words like “I know you can do it, keep pushing yourself”, or, much to our dismay, telling us, “it’s good, but it could be better.” We can in no way repay you for the time and effort you have expended on us, but be assured that whatever good we do, and whatever contributions we make to society as we go forth, is a multiplication of your efforts, in each and every one of us. To our families and friends who always supported us, and lent a sympathetic ear to our frustrations, you have also played an integral role in bringing us to where we are today and for this, we want to thank you.
When we first began our ADM journey, we envisioned ourselves becoming graphic designers, film directors, photographers and much more. We then spent the last four years developing our knowledge and skills in our major, trying to make what we have envisioned a reality. Unfortunately, in this final lap, our journey to achieving our goal had been disrupted by the pandemic. I know everyone was feeling stressed out and lost. Our year-long final year projects have had to be compromised in one way or another and some found it difficult to adapt to new ways of doing things or translating their work into a digital format. Amidst all the turbulence for the past few months, I would say we have successfully adapt to this difficult situation and it is, in my opinion, an important quality for artists and designers.
Most of us might wonder what’s our next step? Especially going out into the world in this uncertain climate? For some it may be a good opportunity to continue their education, while to most others it marks the start of their chosen profession. Whatever we choose to do next, we can be assured that having been through this major disruption, we can and will have the tenacity to overcome whatever challenges are ahead of us, and succeed. We have been given the tools with which we can forge any life we so choose. Whichever path they may go down, I want to wish my peers all the happiness and fortune this life may bring.
We should all be proud of who we are, and confident that we can contribute significantly to today’s ever-changing world. We may not yet fully comprehend the value of all the things we have learned here, but recognise that if we just do the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. And I think the world requires a new generation of people who will effect a positive change and go beyond the call of duty; we are part of that generation. As artists and designers, it is our responsibility to go into the world and do our part in bringing about this change by effectively applying our skill sets, making not only ourselves, but our families and ADM proud. In closing, I would like to leave you with a quote from RuPaul Andre Charles. “When you become the image of your own imagination, it’s the most powerful thing you could ever do.”
Thank you.
