Yale-NUS celebrates Graduation 2022

The Class of 2022 has experienced a college journey like no other, facing unexpected challenges like the ever-changing COVID-19 situation while adapting to new forms of learning whether remotely or face-to-face and bonding through virtual and physical campus activities. After four eventful years, over 1,000 guests and Yale-NUS College community members gathered to celebrate the achievements of our sixth cohort of students at the Graduation Ceremony 2022. The ceremony – the first in-person one for the College in two years – was held at the National University of Singapore (NUS)’s University Cultural Centre.

Celebrations for the graduating class started a week before the ceremony with the Seniors’ Week. Students bonded with their batchmates through a series of exciting activities including friendly games at Senior Fun Day on 9 May 2022 and a beach party and barbeque feast at Sentosa and on campus respectively during Class Day on 12 May 2022. Besides having fun, students also gained personal life and career tips at a series of talks titled ‘Flying the Nest’ on 10 May 2022.

The Graduation Ceremony, held on 13 May 2022, marked the end of the Seniors’ Week but the start of a new journey for our graduands. The event was graced by Minister for Education Mr Chan Chun Sing; A*STAR Senior Fellow and Director of NanoBio Lab, Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Professor Jackie Ying; and members of the Yale-NUS Governing Board, as well as faculty students, parents, donors, and industry partners. Madam Kay Kuok Oon Kwong, Chair of the Yale-NUS Governing Board, presided over the ceremony.

A total of 242 students, including 15 graduands from the Double Degree Programme in Law and Liberal Arts jointly offered by Yale-NUS and the NUS Faculty of Law; two graduands from the Concurrent Degree Programme in Public Policy with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS; and one graduand from the Concurrent Degree Programme in Public Health with the Yale School of Public Health, were presented their scrolls by Yale-NUS President and Professor of Humanities (History) Tan Tai Yong.

Bernard Boey Khai Chen (Class of 2022) was awarded the Class of 2017 Award, made possible through the generosity of Mrs Doris Sohmen-Pao.  

At the ceremony, the Class of 2017 Award was presented to Bernard Boey Khai Chen (Class of 2022). This Award is made possible through the generosity of Mrs Doris Sohmen-Pao and recognises a student who, in the eyes of their peers, has been instrumental in shaping the College and has contributed positively to the community over the last four years.

Bernard has taken on many roles in the Yale-NUS community including Secretary of the Yale-NUS Student Government; Residential Housing Student Associate; and Co-Manager of the student-run coffee cart, Brewhouse. He said, “Through my Yale-NUS education, I have come to appreciate the diversity of experiences among people. This has pushed me to consider different perspectives and seek input from a wide variety of people, such as when advocating for changes,” he explained. “More than anything, I have been really inspired by the people in this community, who are remarkable changemakers with extraordinary impact.”

The Emerging Young Leader Award, made possible through the generosity of Madam Kay Kuok, was awarded to Choy Jia Yu and Lim Ming Hao Eddie (both from the Class of 2022). This Award is presented to students in recognition of their outstanding contributions in addressing a local or global challenge to enhance the quality of life in the community.

Jia Yu and Eddie are the co-founders of the start-up, Thryft – a sustainable online bookstore that makes pre-loved books affordable and accessible for the community while doing good for the people and the planet.

Eddie (left) and Jia Yu (right) were awarded the Emerging Young Leader Award, made possible through the generosity of Madam Kay Kuok.

“To live our fullest lives, we need to first help one another and protect our home that is the Earth together. This drove us to play our part in attempting to create an option for people to do good for others and the planet by recirculating used goods in a manner that, at the same time, retains the benefits of convenience, value and accessibility of purchasing new goods,” Eddie explained.

The Yale-NUS community played an important role in developing their start-up. “In my first year, I had the opportunity to help start a new student organisation, Conscious Living Collective, which organised multiple clothing thrift pop-ups. This was how I got into the idea of second-hand ownership and Thryft,” Jia Yu said. “Furthermore, during my Week 7 trip to Indonesia, I learned about Planetary Health from the non-profit organisation, Alam Sehat Lestari. There, I learned to practise radical listening to create solutions that actually meet the needs of the communities that I am trying to serve.”

Yale-NUS President and Professor of Humanities (History) Tan Tai Yong giving the opening address at the ceremony. 

In his opening address, Professor Tan, President of Yale-NUS College acknowledged the challenges that the graduating cohort faced and celebrated the enduring spirit of the Yale-NUS community. “We have always tried to make a difference and bring about positive change in all that we do. I am excited for you as you embark on your next adventures. I hope you continue to live out the Yale-NUS ethos of service, and make a positive difference, no matter how big or small, to the people around you and beyond,” he said.

Professor Jackie Ying, A*STAR Senior Fellow and Director of NanoBio Lab, Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, addressed students at the ceremony.

Graduation speaker Prof Jackie Ying emphasised the power of choices in her speech to the Class of 2022. “When you graduate with a liberal arts degree, you have many choices. What job do you take, and do you go for further studies? You have been exposed to a broad curriculum, and now you can decide what to focus on for your profession. What is your strength and what is your interest? I hope they match, and that you continue to develop them,” she said.

The faculty speaker was Yale-NUS Lecturer of Humanities (Writing and Literature) Dr Carissa Foo.

Dr Carissa Foo, spoke on behalf of the Yale-NUS faculty, affirming the complex emotions that the graduands might be feeling and encouraged them to continue believing in what they felt strong for. “Here is a balance that I hope you’ll have and strive for, in the world outside Yale-NUS: to be in touch with socio-cultural happenings, the small and seismic changes in the world around you, but also, more importantly, to be attentive to the tuggings of your heart, the small still voice within you that offers comfort, the same voice that perhaps told you to come to Yale-NUS,” she reiterated.

The student speaker was Emma Grimley (Class of 2022).

Emma delivered a heartwarming speech to her fellow classmates, celebrating the character of Yale-NUS students. “We have always leaned in to the unfamiliar, the uncomfortable, and the uncommon. This is also something we should strive to cultivate and practise wherever we may end up. Represent Yale-NUS proudly wherever you are, pay homage to this beautiful, strange community,” she said.

Congratulations to the Class of 2022. May you carry the spirit of Yale-NUS wherever you go!

The list of awards, medals and prizes won by the Class of 2022 graduands can be found here.