- I love enzymes!
(all laughing)
Tiny molecular machines,
too small to be seen by the naked eye.
They're in each of our cells
performing important life functions
like helping us breathe and allowing us to eat yummy foods
like the warm Taiwanese beef noodle soup my mother makes,
niu rou mian (audience members cheering)
and the creamy New England chowder
my friends and I saver on Friday nights in the d-hall.
Enzymes perform these functions
by bringing together different molecules in the cell
causing these molecules to interact with each other.
As a chemical and physical biology student
I spend a lot of time working with enzymes in the lab.
There are so many different types of enzymes
each one with a different shape, color, and size,
and all serving different purposes
that allow our human bodies to function.
When I first walked into Harvard Yard,
I could never have imagined all the amazing people I meet
hailing from Greece to Rwanda to Yemen
to my home city in California. (audience members cheering)
Together we would have late night conversations
and play truth or truth,
learning about each other's aspirations
and grilling each other about romantic interests.
My perspectives on different issues in the world
have widened because of these incredible people
from all over the world.
When you zoom into an enzyme, you'll see that it has
a unique structure that allows it to perform its function.
The different creases and folds of an enzyme
allow it to do what it does.
For instance, a gap in an enzyme
might be where molecule fits
and an extending branch of an enzyme
might be where it grabs a molecule.
Each crease, each fold, each loop, each bump
makes an enzyme perform really fascinating functions.
Part of the enzyme structure is determined
by the DNA that encodes it.
Similarly, our individual characteristics
are partly determined by the families we come from.
My family, my DNA has indeed shaped my upbringing
from teaching me that nothing is too small
for me to be passionate about
and that library cards are the key to life.
My family has formed a solid foundation of who I am.
However, an enzyme structure is not only determined
by the DNA that encodes it.
Other enzymes in the cell
as well as the surrounding environment
helped shape the enzyme.
From our first year to now, we've been together
through ups and downs, shaping each other.
We've scrambled for boxes, toilet paper, and mute buns.
As the world was shutting down in 2020,
we've lived through a pandemic
that has reconstructed our perception
of what education can be.
We've comforted each other
as we grieved the loss of loved ones.
We've met inspirational professors who help us grow
and classmates who are musicians, magicians,
and mountaineers who never fail to encourage us.
For many of us, it was a long journey to get here
to be sitting here today in the theater,
and today we will celebrate! (all cheering)
Enzymes, all those small make reactions
that are impossible, possible.
By making possible the challenging intricacies of life,
enzymes teach us that the boundaries
of our abilities are limitless
when we are shaped by those who care for us.
Do not underestimate what we can collectively accomplish.
Just as enzymes bring molecules together
to catalyze chemical reactions,
I've seen so many of you bring people together
to catalyze change.
As we leave Harvard, we will continue to shape and be shaped
by the world around us, serving as enzymes of Veritas.
(all cheering)