Former President Tsai Ing-wen Attends Taipei First Girls High School Graduation, Encourages Students to "Stay Curious and Move Forward with Courage"

Central News Agency, Taipei, June 1. Former President Tsai Ing-wen attended the graduation ceremony of Taipei First Girls High School today, offering three blessings to the graduates: "Maintain curiosity, allow yourself to be imperfect, and remember those who have walked with you." She said that women do not need to be defined or limited by others, nor should they rush to define themselves. She hopes everyone will set off with curiosity, move forward with courage, and grow into the person they like to be. Tsai posted on Facebook that she had worked in the Presidential Office next door for the past eight years and finally had the opportunity to walk into the school today to say "Happy Graduation" to everyone. Tsai shared that her mother had hoped she would wear the green uniform (Taipei First Girls High School), but she missed it by two points and ended up wearing the white uniform of Zhongshan Girls High School. In the first exam of her freshman year, she ranked 51st out of 58 students, which even worried her father. But looking back, she said it might have been better not to have entered Taipei First Girls High School, otherwise the pressure would have been even greater. Tsai said she understands well that grades, rankings, and expectations can sometimes bring great pressure. However, life is not an exam paper; there is no need for a standard answer to every question, nor is there a need to write down all the answers to life at the age of 18. Life is more like a journey; sometimes you walk with many people, and sometimes you need to walk quietly alone to find your own direction. She said that the theme of this year's Taipei First Girls High School graduation ceremony, "solivagant," is a beautiful word. It not only describes traveling alone but also a posture of enjoying solitude and freely exploring the world. Walking alone does not mean being lonely; being able to walk well with yourself is the beginning of growing up. Tsai said she had previously stated that women do not need to be defined or limited by others, and she wanted to give this sentence to the students of Taipei First Girls High School, adding one more: "Not only should you not be defined by others, but you should also not rush to define yourself." Graduates are just about to set off; do not tell yourself too early that "I can only be this," and do not rush to use others' standards to decide who you should become. Tsai said that during her eight years working in the Presidential Office, she often encountered moments without standard answers. Sometimes a decision would have many different opinions; sometimes it was impossible to satisfy everyone; and there were many times when she could only make responsible choices in uncertainty. These experiences taught her that true strength is not about never being afraid or always knowing the answer, but about being willing to calm down in uncertain times and continue to find directions, methods, and people to walk with. Tsai offered three graduation blessings. First, wish everyone to maintain curiosity. The most important luggage for a lone traveler is curiosity. Many important answers are not necessarily in the exam paper, nor are they necessarily visible at the beginning, but they slowly appear when you are willing to ask one more question and take one more step. Second, wish everyone to allow themselves to be imperfect. You don't need to perform well every time, and you don't need to be certain at every stage. You can rest when you are tired, and you can stop and look at yourself when you are lost. That is not regression, but a process of knowing yourself. Third, wish everyone to remember those who have walked with you. After today, everyone will go to different places, but these three years at Taipei First Girls High School will become a very important journey in everyone's heart. She said, "I wish you all to become free solivagants. When walking alone, do not be afraid; when walking with others, know how to cherish. I wish you all to set off with curiosity, move forward with courage, and on your own path, grow into the person you like to be."