《声音》 VOICES VOICES Jun/Jul/Aug 2018 | Page 3

FOUNDER’S NOTE A s we draw close to the end of the school year, all of our campuses around the country are holding graduation ceremonies. I hope you have attended your children’s too! For our teachers, the end of year is often a bag of mixed feelings. On one hand, we are super proud and excited about the growth of the students. One reason why most of us chose the education profession is from the tremendous satisfaction of seeing how we’re making a difference with the children; how they become young adults exhibiting noble values and watching them accomplish things that they couldn’t before. On the other hand, we have developed such a strong relationship and bond with them during this process that it’s hard to say goodbye to the graduates. The hugs and tears that you see from our teachers during graduations are both of elation as well as sadness. One quality we hope to instill in all our graduates is the courage to change and inspire. You probably have seen this line on our logos, in our brochures, or heard it from our staff. The foundation of courage is self-confidence. Starting from a young age, we find various strategies to build up the self-confidence and self-esteem in our students. We want to be sure that this sense of self-worth is from within and not from their parents’ financial privilege or from constant praise. The latter is fragile and can easily be perceived as arrogance. We hope that our graduates will distinguish themselves when they grow up by having a very clear sense of ethics and moral compass, as well as a desire to change things for the better. It’s a very confusing world that faces our children, such as the state of politics and social issues, with the ever increasing inequality gap. They will also have to deal with the impacts of new technology such as artificial intelligence and genetic engineering. To be able to navigate through all these challenges, our children need be well grounded in understanding who they are and have the courage to make a difference when it is asked of them. Looking forward, I know many families have already made exciting plans for the summer. I wish all of you a wonderful and safe summer, and I look forward to hearing stories from the students about their summer activities. Jack Hsu CEO and Founder of Ivy Education Group 1