Masters (MIMT) Valedictorian congratulatory remarks during the Fall 2022 commencement ceremony.

“Good morning, everyone

On this wonderful day, I would like to welcome the honorable Chairman Kim, President Oh, Dean Joshua Park, and all distinguished SolBridge professors.

I don’t even know how to express my excitement of standing here as a proud graduate of master’s in management and Technology program at SolBridge and let me share why this moment is monumental for me.

Back in Spring 2021, students from India, Brazil, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, USA and I started our study together in this MIMT program. It didn't take long for us to find out that we were actually the very first cohort of the MIMT program at SolBridge. Although I'm the only child in the family, I still remember very well how my uncles and aunts talked about the challenge of raising their first child. Usually, the first child is always the experiment of their parents starting from what food they should give, what first words they should learn, what parenting style they would like to use, and it includes all the ups and downs of having the first child. Especially the feeling of not knowing what you are doing can feel like an experiment or even like a test. It feels exactly the same being the first cohort of the MIMT program. The courses we had to take, the curriculum, the opportunities we had - everything was new to us as to SolBridge. Many would see being the first cohort of a program as something scary and risky, but I'm now glad to say that I'm actually honored in two different ways.

First of all, it's a rare opportunity for a bunch of students like us to be part of the growth of a business school as progressive as SolBridge. I remember the days we kept coming back to Professor Kushal Sharma and Prof. Jung Kwan Kim's offices expressing our feedback about our classes, our materials, and other things and they always made time to see us. They patiently acknowledged our inputs and working hard to utilise them so our juniors in the MIMT program can have a better experience. I hope this wasn't a traumatic experience for Prof. Kushal when we always made appointments to see him almost every day. But to be honest, my friends and I are very impressed with Prof. Kushal's patience, and I sincerely believe that SolBridge is very lucky to have great professors like him and Prof. Jung Kwan Kim. They are so dedicated to their students and they're willing to put up with us in the best way an educator can do. Please give them a big round of applause. And because we are the first batch of MIMT students who got admitted into SolBridge in the middle of the pandemic, many SolBridge professors actually sympathize with our situation and did their best to make their professorship meaningful for us. Outside of the academic help, I owe a great debt of gratitude to Ms. Rezia Usman, the Regional Director for Southeast Asia and South Asia in Woosong, both her tireless dedication to helping out any and every student to adjust to university life especially during COVID-19 pandemic and for her friendly demeanor. I would still be floundering if not for her bureaucratic and emotional support. Thank you, Professor Lee Gang Rok, for your dedication to teaching Korean language to a bunch of spoiled brats waegugkins like us. Kamsahamnida, Kyusunim! All Korean teachers should be as fun as you. I would also like to thank Professor Roger Royo for giving me unimaginable opportunities in organizing different events and allowed me to take part in multiple competitions that further sparked my interest to be a start-up entrepreneur. I really hope that one day, I can make you proud by becoming a successful businessperson. Only in these given opportunities, I was able to exercise my leadership skill, my organizational skill, as well as my skill in dealing with multiple stakeholders both internal and external. There are so many works and efforts by professors in the background that go unnoticed and unseen because all of us are busy surviving the student life so, to all SolBridge professors who have done their best, this round of applause is for you!

Secondly and most importantly, I'm really thankful to be part of the first MIMT program because SolBridge gave me a new family that I end up treasuring. There were no seniors or graduates from the MIMT program before, so every single one of us had to rely on each other both in class and outside of class. The nights we spent helping each other to study, consoling each other in our personal lives, and supporting one another when things got difficult, everyone is suddenly everyone's mother, father, brother, and sister. Thank you for always having my back, Dhiya, for always being there to support and criticize me, Sudha for always mediating the problems and being involved somehow. To Sagnick, who is not here but is always a brother and father figure for all of us and to Sayali, Yiyakshu, Almira, Jeffrey, Sidakjot, Arunasish, Gailin, Bhawna, Nadia, Tanya, Juliana, no words can convey how grateful I am to have you guys with me. Unfortunately, my parents couldn’t be here today, but it gives me so much assurance that my MIMT family in Korea is right here with me. Fellas, we did it!!! We graduated! I'm so proud of all of us!! 

Having said all that, I would like to emphasize that even though I'm a Valedictorian, the success I have is solely because I'm standing on the shoulders of a lot of people who have been nothing but supportive in my life. My amazing parents, who are too scared of Korea's harsh winter so they couldn't come today, but I know for sure they're proud of me. And last but not least, I would like to thank God for always opening doors during times there was seemingly no way out and for being the compass when I don’t know where to go.

Needless to say, that life after SolBridge is unexpectedly scary because I have to figure things out on my own now and start finding my ways. There will be no professor Kushal, no Professor Jung Kwan Kim, no Ms. Rezia, and no MIMT family in the search of jobs and life as I will be alone. But I know I can always come back to SolBridge and connect with everyone I know. SolBridge is home and will always be my home.

Finally, I would like to close my speech with a quote from Michelle Obama “It is absolutely still possible to make a difference.”

Thank you everyone and let’s make a difference!”

Ignatius Hanny Sugiarto: Masters (MIMT) Valedictorian Class of 2022