Welcome everyone, I am Dhruv Wadkar an Alumni, and from the Class of 2017.

It has only been a year since I sat at the same seat and venue. I feel like I just time traveled to the future.

Graduates, I want you to be proud. This moment that you have, is proof of your triumph over the soul consuming system we call IB.

I want to tell you that despite me leaving ISS last year, I don’t think I have left. I now live 15,000 kilometers away in Boston – but my day there feels like a normal school day in ISS, only with a little change in the scenario.

For example, we all know the long climb of stairs we face every morning? Guess every assignment feels the same in the University – and yes – you just got to do it one step at a time. If it is a group project it feels like people are holding onto your bag as you climb up the stairs and it feels like it is 95% your effort, that’s exactly like any college group project. But climb on and persevere – before you know it – you are on top and not just that – you have taken others along with you too.

Few of you would have had your class with Dr. Ford – for TOK or maybe English. If you have spent enough time there, you will understand this – His classroom is the equivalent of Boston’s weather during bitter winter, that’s like minus 5 Celsius.

As I reflected from my time from ISS, I realized the teachers prepare you the most. The teacher who pushed me the most towards to my future was Ms. Palekar. I am currently majoring in Finance, and honestly – her classes and guidance helped me make that decision. In my time, Ms. Palekar was famously known for her high standards in grading and extremely hard to get a recommendation from. Nevertheless, that high expectation from her, made me work hard, enjoy finance and even train me to always submit work that was of top quality. The process of doing so also built resilience in me.

Teachers are for educating you. I understand and so do you, that in studying, there is also dying; but teachers also teach you how to live well. That teacher for me was Ms. Ventura, who taught me Spanish. I think more than Spanish, I actually learnt how to live. I always adored how enthusiastic she was in each class. If you were in low spirits she would stay back to check if you were ok. She taught new languages and made us understand that a word is meaningless until you chose to let it have meaning. This lesson can be applied everywhere – if you understood what each action meant, you are already the master of that situation.

ISS is actually a small school and unlike all the huge shiny schools around. What it lacks on size, it makes up on character that is rich and rubs off on you. The teachers bring out the best in you because they can concentrate on each of you. And because you are in a relatively smaller class size compared to other schools, friendships here run deeper. The bonds you make here are akin to a family. And you are nurtured and made ready to take the next step forward.

Let me get to sharing a few tips that may be useful as you move forward:

– As you step out there and into various universities, lots of adventures and exciting times await – go ahead and have a great time as life is meant to be a happy adventure. But when you come across the unknown and are unsure – Keep your values intact and let them guide you.

– I am sure you are leaving with sweet and bitter memories of school – sweet side pertaining to great friendships made and the bitter side – need I elaborate the rigour and pains of IB? I do have some good news for you guys – it’s the bitter part that will serve you well. You will soon know that you, even as a freshman, you will be much smarter than first year students in college because IB prepares you well. Use that to your advantage and keep your grades high.

– Student life will get very busy and as classes, clubs, assignments, teams, projects and groups spring up – you will have no time to breathe. You guys know what it is to snapchat your friends, so add parents to the list, call or simply send them a picture, so they feel better.
 
Parents, here is a tip for you. If you want your children to call you more often. Make sure you give them a small budget, so they call you more often!

– My final advice is when you visit home, try and carve out some time to visit your school. Get some chocolates for Mr. Jungo. If you can’t, then drop an email or that postcard to your teachers. Their happy and proud faces when they see you is priceless.

Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of your celebration today. Hope to see you somewhere in the world, and anytime in the future – as successful and good human beings that ISS school of Singapore trained us to be!