
For each commencement ceremony, a member of the graduating class was invited to present remarks to the entire class. A committee of students, staff and faculty selected George Dong as the spring 2009 commencement speaker. George Dong came to Michigan from Fuzhou, China. Following graduation, he will work in the Teach for America program, teaching at a school in Chicago. Transcript: Good morning. First let me express my deepest gratitude for my unusual presence at this podium today. I came to Michigan from Fuzhou, China, about 7 thousand miles away. When I first came, I barely spoke English. In fact, I was so confused that I thought the Fishbowl was an aquarium, the Big House was a prison, and that North Face jackets and UGG boots were the unofficial school uniforms. As it turns out, I was only right about the last one. Standing here today, I am extremely proud of Michigans rich tradition, I am grateful for my parents unconditional love and profound sacrifice that made this moment even possible, and I am aware of the diverse culture and heritage of all 50 states and 120 countries that are represented in the audience today. Although our hometowns may be thousands of miles apart, it is the same Michigan experience that connects us all. It is the same Michigan Time that always saved us ten minutes of more sleep. It is the winged football helmets and the Hot Dog Man that we worshipped. We have learned to speak different languages, learned to appreciate and celebrate different <b>...</b>
george
dong
michigan
umich
commencement
graduation
2009
spring
university
speech
speaker
chinese
fuzhou
fujian
asian
obama
yao
ming
teach
for
america
corps
member
chicago
cheeseshower