When the flame trees bloom and the farewell songs play, it marks the time when students graduate and leave the campus to embark on new journeys in life. National Chung Cheng University (CCU) held its 112th commencement ceremony today, congratulating nearly 3,000 students on successfully completing their studies.

Notably, in addition to local students, 93 international students from regions including Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa also received their degrees. Among them, a member of the Parliament of Somaliland traveled a long distance to witness the proud moment of his daughter being awarded her master's degree.

The College of Education stated that Mariam Jama Farah from Somaliland studied in the Master Program of Educational Leadership and Management Development (ELMD) and was one of the recipients of the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) International Higher Education Scholarship Program. Her father, Rt. Hon. Omer Jama Farah, a member of the Somaliland House of Representatives, stayed for several days after attending Taiwan's presidential inauguration in May to participate in his daughter's graduation ceremony. MP Farah expressed his admiration for CCU's excellent facilities and diverse, international learning environment.

CCU announced that this year, a total of 2,917 students celebrated their graduation, including 1,437 undergraduates, 1,044 master's and doctoral students, and 436 inservice program students. The commencement ceremony also featured congratulatory speeches from National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) Professor Yuh-Ju Sun, a recipient of the Taiwan Outstanding Women in Science Award (TOWIS), and Dr. Ben Jai, founder of HOPE BAY TECHNOLOGIES INC.
"Now that you are graduating, you have infinite choices ahead," said Professor Sun, addressing the graduates. She recalled facing the same decisions about her future direction before graduation and encouraged the students to explore endless possibilities, whether in entrepreneurship, further studies, or employment, emphasizing that each decision is theirs to make. She urged the graduates to follow their goals, trust their decisions, and not fear failure, rejection, or change, aspiring them to be the MVPs of their own lives.

CCU President Shaw-Jenq Sean Tsai said, "The sea of learning has no boundaries; knowledge is endless. Knowledge gained from books only becomes meaningful when applied in practice." He hoped that the students would use their learning to contribute to society, excel in their respective fields, and expand the meaning of their lives. Tsai also mentioned the rapidly changing society and encouraged the students to remain unshaken by prosperity or adversity, assuring them that their alma mater would always be their strongest support. He wished the graduates a bright future and a happy graduation.