Wednesday, June 17, 2020

2020 Hopkins-Nanjing Center Virtual Commencement

On June 12, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) held its 34th Commencement Ceremony to celebrate the hard work and resilience of the Class of 2020. Though we have been honored to host many graduations over the past three decades, this year was our first virtual ceremony, emerging from the social and travel restrictions in place as a result of the current global COVID-19 pandemic. It was an immense honor to have two recent HNC graduates, Andrew Meador (HNC '18) and Wang Qilong (HNC '17) share their experiences and encouragement with graduating students as commencement speakers; both of whom served on the frontlines of the pandemic in New York City and Wuhan, respectively.

Despite this being uncharted territory, the Hopkins-Nanjing Center community, spread far and wide across the globe, came together to host a celebratory and meaningful virtual graduation ceremony. Below are a few highlights:


Commencement Speakers



Andrew Meador (HNC '18), Special Operations Forces Registered Nurse

While it is not the way you expected or hoped to complete your graduate studies, you have done what you set out to do, despite the difficulties...job well done, and congratulations.




Wang Qilong (HNC '17), Level 4 Principle Staff Member of Wuhan City, Qiaokou District People's Government

“在这场史无前例的劫难面前,我们每个人都是历史的参与者和创造者。好在,我们有十足的信心拍着胸脯说,我们对得起身上的使命”





Graduating Student Speakers


Cheryl Wirehene (Certificate '20)

我们来到中美中心,让自己承担风险,所谓 独在异乡为异客,在背负一些复杂情感的同时,也让我们看到了无限的可能性。。。HNC 给了我们成功的基础。。。它教会我们不要害怕明天的问题,而要从解决问题的角度来看待它。



Liu Yan (Certificate '20)

The curiosity my fellow classmates hold towards academic study and diverse cultures always encourage me, motivate me, and remind me to always keep an open mind. It is you who have taught me that it is not a bad idea to be a bit skeptical and discover more by exploring deeper...here, I wish all of you a bright future with all my best sincerity. They say Don’t stop believing, and from today I hope Never stop questioning.



Hopkins-Nanjing Center Class of 2020