Global Health Student Delivers Convocation Speech at Duke Kunshan University

Ginny De La Cruz

Ginny De La Cruz speaks on behalf of graduate students

Published August 18, 2014, last updated on April 9, 2018 under Education News

Today at the convocation ceremony at Duke Kunshan University, DKU Master of Science in Global Health student Ginny De La Cruz shared greetings on behalf of the first class of undergraduate and graduate students. De La Cruz said she's excited to continue her global health study in China and looks forward to the program. She also encouraged her peers to step out of their comfort zones, support one another and see themselves as pioneers who can make an impact. See a transcript of her speech below.

The formal convocation ceremony took place today at the Kunshan Culture and Art Center ahead of the start of classes next Monday. It also included an address by Duke's William Johnson, professor of classical studies, who is teaching an undergraduate course on Classical Greek civilization at DKU this semester. Read more news about the convocation ceremony.

Transcript of the speech by Ginny De La Cruz

"Dear students, welcome to DKU. I feel honored to talk to you today. I’m really excited to be here with you and to have joined this unique international campus compromised of students, staff, and faculty from around the globe. After so much anticipation and preparation in the last few months, I’m so happy we are finally here. If you are like me, you probably have a lot questions running through your head, and you are a currently feeling a million emotions. Perhaps it wasn’t an easy decision to come to DKU. In my case, I had been accepted to several graduate programs across the United States, but DKU stood out in so many ways.  Some of the things that make DKU stand out are its location in China, being part of the first incoming class, and being able to study among many students from all over the world. I was already familiar with the reputable Master of Science in Global Health degree offered at Duke, and when I learned that the same degree was being offered in China, I knew that the program wouldn’t fall short. What better place to study global health than in China. It soon became clear that DKU would be the best school for me to pursue my global health studies.

Multiple academic and international experiences have shaped my interest in global health and desire to study at DKU. For example, while I was living in South Korea, I became very curious about global health trends there and possible explanations. One of the first differences I noticed between Koreans and Americans was the difference in their diets. Working at a public school, I was immediately struck by how healthy the school lunches were compared to American school lunches. Although increasing globalization and the growth of fast food restaurants in the country posed a threat to the South Korean diet and health, the perseverance of the country’s traditional foodways seemed to account for much of their overall well-being. Personal observations like these deepened my interest in global health.  Before coming to DKU, I was also working for the American Diabetes Association, which has given me insight into the current state of diabetes in the United States and has deepened my desire to explore the global trend and epidemiology of diabetes or other chronic diseases during my research at DKU. I'm also interested in the social and environmental determinants of health, and the development of informed public policy to address inequity and opportunity in diverse social, political and economic contexts.

Although a lot of us might share similar reasons for coming to DKU, each one of us has a unique story to tell about our passions and why we here. Let’s keep those reasons in mind and try to think about what we can do to get the most of our experience here.  I think many of you would agree with me that coming here might have seemed a little scary at first. For example, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous about living in China and studying in an intercultural environment. This is a matter of fact, even though I had lived in South Korea for two years and had some experience with intercultural interaction. You see, after returning home from South Korea, it was very easy to settle back into my comfort zone so I naturally felt nervous about coming to China.  But I was determined to not let fear hinder the opportunity to learn and grow. Someone once said, “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.”  In the film The Dialogue, we were able to get a sense of the complexities involved in intercultural interactions through the eyes of the American and Chinese students. The film showed us that what we can learn from each other will far outweigh any difference or misunderstanding that there might be between us, as long as we maintain a high level of self-awareness and respect for our unique experiences and cultures.

It is no mistake that we are here today. Each and every one of us has something unique to offer to this diverse learning community. The opportunity to be a pioneer and help shape DKU into the great university that it is becoming will allow us to make the kind of impact that we might not otherwise be able to make if we weren’t part of the first incoming class at DKU.  But first, you might ask yourself what does it mean to be a pioneer?  Or how can we be pioneers? One way is through community. Many students mentioned in their student introduction videos that they were looking forward to the small class sizes at DKU. Let’s take advantage of this at DKU and form a sense of community by becoming involved in and outside the classroom. Let’s be a source of support for each other and help each other make the most of our experience here. Let’s help DKU become a place that supports growth and development. Part of being a pioneer is also being open to new ideas, experiences and directions. I look forward to embracing this new experience with you and I’m assured that we will learn a lot from each other.

I look forward to being a pioneer with you. Best of luck to each and every one of us. Thank you."

 

 

 

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