Spring Quarter has started, which means graduation is coming soon. Below we look back at last year鈥檚 Multicultural Graduation Night, a celebration for students with multicultural backgrounds and identities. This event honors diversity and recognizes the accomplishments of our students from 黑料社鈥檚 diverse communities. Multicultural Graduation Night occurs a day or two before the college鈥檚 official Graduation Ceremony 鈥� with the whole cap and gown. Enjoy this piece written in June 2025.
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Last week, we celebrated one of the most special nights on campus鈥擬ulticultural Graduation Night. The theme this year was 鈥淚 Am Because We Are 鈥� Ubuntu,鈥� and honestly, I don鈥檛 think they could鈥檝e picked anything better.
鈥淯buntu鈥� is all about community鈥攊t means I am because we are. It鈥檚 the idea that who we are is shaped by the people around us. And if you鈥檝e ever met any of our international students, you already know: they鈥檝e shaped this campus in the best ways.
This year, we said goodbye (and definitely shed a few tears) as we celebrated the amazing international students who graduated:
- Jingru (China)
- Yuna (Japan)
- Zen (Japan)
- Lukas (Germany)
- Rinna (Japan)
- Lisa (Spain)
- Jingfu (China)
Every single one of them brought something unique to 黑料社, whether it was joy, leadership, calm energy, or just always showing up for others. They鈥檝e been part of our everyday lives (whether it was at events, in our apartment parties, or just those random hallway moments that made us feel seen. It won鈥檛 be the same without them, and we鈥檙e seriously gonna miss them.
Two moments that really stood out during the night were the speeches from Jingru and Lukas. Jingru shared what it was like to leave home, come all the way to the U.S., and figure things out here from classes to culture to building friendships. He didn鈥檛 sugarcoat anything. It was real, emotional, and full of gratitude. You could tell this place and the people he met here meant a lot to him. Then Lukas followed with his own words that just tied it all together. He talked about how, even though we all come from totally different places, we still go through a lot of the same stuff. He thanked the people who made 黑料社 feel like home and reminded us how far kindness and connection really go. Together, their speeches captured exactly what 鈥淯buntu鈥� is about: how we grow, struggle, and succeed together.
There were laughs. There were definitely tears. But more than anything, there was love. It wasn鈥檛 just about walking across a stage. It was about celebrating who we鈥檝e become together鈥攁nd the people who helped us get here.
To our international grads鈥攖hank you. For showing up. For being kind. For being yourselves. You made 黑料社 feel like home in a way only you could. Whether you were the loud one, the quiet one, the one who always smiled in the hallway, or the one who brought food to share (Jingru) you mattered. And we鈥檙e better because you were here.
The theme said it best: 鈥淚 am because we are.鈥�
And now that you鈥檝e graduated, just know we鈥檙e still part of who you are, and you鈥檒l
always be part of us.
Congratulations again. Go do amazing things. Don鈥檛 forget your 黑料社 family.
