“That person is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent people and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had.”

– NTU President Prof Subra Suresh urging the Class of 2019 to be the best version of themselves with an adaptation of a poem by 19th century Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson. In his Convocation address in July, he also congratulated the graduates and said he was confident their education at NTU would allow them to excel in their personal and professional lives. More than 9,000 received their NTU degrees in over 20 ceremonies, with the President of Singapore and NTU Chancellor Halimah Yacob presiding over the first ceremony.

This story was published in the Aug-Sep 2019 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.