Congratulations, EALC Class of 2020!

Dear EALC Seniors,

On behalf of all my colleagues in East Asian Languages and Cultures, I want to extend my sincere congratulations to all of you. We are so proud of you for your accomplishments. You have risen to the challenges put before you, not only working hard over the past four years but also overcoming all the obstacles in your last semester as our normal school life was profoundly disrupted by a global pandemic. As you are arriving at the finish line at WashU, we want to thank you for giving us the opportunities to teach you, to work with you, and to share your exciting journey of exploring East Asian languages and cultures. We truly wish to congratulate you in person, to see your beautiful faces, to hear your voices, to hug you one more time, and to celebrate with you and your family … But it seems that the universe has a different plan for all of us.

Though we cannot be together for this celebration, your professors and I made a short video to express our deep appreciation and wish you all the best! (video on Box.)

When you watch this video, we are a nation at home; but once we are back to our normal life, able to work and travel, we hope that what you have learned in this department and at WashU will make you a great communicator to help bridge differences and reconnect the world. Be well, do good, and come back and visit us.

Please keep us posted on your new discoveries and accomplishments, and don’t forget us, because we are extremely proud of you!

Zhao Ma

Dept. of East Asian Languages and Cultures
Washington University in St. Louis