Katalia Qiuxia Chen

Hello, my fellow graduates, UT Dallas faculty and staff, family, and friends. Thank you for being here today!

First of all, I would like to say it loudly to my fellow graduates, “Congratulations! You made it!”

Now that we are at the end of our academic experiences and graduating at UT Dallas, it seems fitting to reflect on what we will miss. I will remember the beautiful sunrise I saw as I approached campus at 6:50 in the morning and the sunset I saw as I exited the back door of JSOM after class. For me, these images were bookends to a long day attending class, project discussions and engaging faculty and peers. I will also remember tackling the climbing wall in the Activity Center. Who would ever believe that a master’s student tackled the climbing wall in the Activity Center? I vividly remember the student worker who encouraged me when I feared I wouldn’t make it to the very top of the wall. I heard this confident voice say, “Don’t be afraid; you can make it!” His words are the mantra that can be broken into three phrases that I want to share with you today.

• Always ask for help.
• Express your ideas.
• Make hard decisions.

Let’s start with “always ask for help.” At UT Dallas, we have great resources to help us succeed. Valuable lectures, library books, student organizations, scholarships and research funding. I got my first internship offer through a career fair held by JSOM Career Management Center. I got my second internship offer through a project I did with the JSOM Consulting Club. I even got help when I was applying for the PhD program for fall 2021. Numerous professors and current PhD students gave me invaluable advice that now will guide my next academic journey. I’m so grateful for each offer of assistance. But now our graduating students will be leaving the safety of UT Dallas and entering the workforce. We will face challenging work assignments or research assignments where the solutions are not obvious. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and don’t be afraid to offer help to others.

What about the second point? “Express your ideas.” I remember chatting with an exchange student who told me she was shocked when she saw students here at UTD being so bold and so confident by asking questions and sharing their perspectives in class. This exchange student said that in coming to a new country and facing so many extraordinary students, she was afraid to express herself. She doubted herself, but by the great example of her classmates, she finally conquered her fear and became a rising star in the class. My dear fellow graduates, I encourage you to keep being bold! Don’t be afraid to express yourself in the new environment.

Last, but not the least important: “Make hard decisions.” I know that many of us have enjoyed having lunch in the Student Union and seeking input from others about the difficult decisions we needed to make as a student. I enjoyed conversations with students from different backgrounds and cultures and how their stories helped me. Some students were struggling with deciding their major field of study; others were struggling with whether to leave full-time work and pursue their degrees full time. For me, I remember how hard it was to leave my full-time job in China to pursue a master’s and, soon, a PhD degree here at UT Dallas. Those decisions were not easy to make. As we leave UT Dallas, many more difficult decisions lie ahead of us, and I encourage you to follow your heart, face your fear and make those hard decisions that will transform your future. After all, we have had a lot of practice at making hard decisions at UT Dallas.

My fellow Comets, if you ask for help, express your ideas and make hard decisions, you will have a grand and successful life.

Congratulations again, and thank you very much!

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Katalia Qiuxia Chen came to UT Dallas from Fengcheng, Jiangxi Province in China and graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in supply chain management. She has been involved in several organizations on campus including the Office of Information Technology, the Consulting Leadership & Development Society, and the Supply Chain Leadership Council. She received a Dean’s Excellence Scholarship and was designated a Scholar of High Distinction. She was also a teaching assistant for two undergraduate courses in the Naveen Jindal School of Management. After graduation, she will continue a PhD program in operations management at UT Dallas.