🎓 Tears & Cheers: My Best Friend’s UKM Graduation (and a Promise to Reunite in Shandong)

Hey everyone! 👋 This morning, UKM’s campus felt different — the air was filled with excitement, graduation gowns were everywhere, and families were carrying bouquets of flowers. I joined the crowd, clutching a big bunch of sunflowers and baby’s breath, ready to celebrate my best friend’s big day. She’s from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and today, in October, she finally graduated!

✨ The Grand Convocation Ceremony

The ceremony was held in UKM’s main hall, and it was so much more formal than I expected. The stage was draped in deep blue cloth, with the UKM logo and the word “CONVOCATION” glowing brightly above. When the dean gave his speech, the whole hall went quiet — you could feel the pride and respect in the room.

When the Faculty of Humanities was called, I leaned forward, scanning the list of names on the big screen. As soon as I saw my friend’s name, I jumped up and cheered with her other friends. Watching her walk across the stage, cap and gown perfectly in place, to receive her degree certificate gave me goosebumps. The sunlight streamed through the hall’s windows, making her graduation gown shine — it was such a proud, unforgettable moment.

🎉 Post-Ceremony Celebrations (and a Little Sadness)

As soon as the ceremony ended, I ran over to her and handed her the sunflowers. “For my favorite humanities graduate!” I said. She hugged the flowers tight and laughed, her eyes crinkling with joy. We took tons of photos: group shots with our friends, silly selfies, and a formal picture in front of the graduation stage (the one I’m sharing here!).

But beneath all the excitement, I felt a little sad. She’s from Shandong, just like me, and she’s heading back home after graduation. I’ll miss our late-night bubble tea runs, our weekend badminton games, and even our panic sessions before exams. It hit me that our UKM adventure together is coming to an end — at least for now.

🤝 A Promise to Reunite

Before she left, we made a deal: when I finish my semester and go back to Shandong, we’re having a big reunion dinner. We’ll eat authentic Lu cuisine (my favorite is braised pork belly!), drink our go-to bubble tea, and catch up on everything we missed. Distance might separate us for now, but our hometown bond and UKM memories will keep us connected.

Today’s graduation wasn’t just a celebration of her achievement — it was a reminder that university life is as much about the people you meet as it is about the degree you earn. To my humanities graduate friend: congratulations, and I’ll see you soon in Shandong! 🥰