On June 22nd (Saturday) at 5 p.m., the “2024 Annual Meeting and Scholarship Awards Ceremony” hosted by the Association of Alumni from Southern United States Universities was grandly held at the Qiao Education Center auditorium. Over 350 participants, including Elaine Hsiao, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yung-Rong Wang, Director of the Qiao Education Center, Yung-Nan Chang, General Manager of Hengfeng Bank, internationally renowned violinist Chao-Liang Lin and his wife Rui-Yan Ho, scholarship sponsors, award-winning students and their families, as well as members, gathered to celebrate the event.
Representatives from 23 universities entered the venue holding their school flags, and after a flag ceremony with JCCAA Chairman Ken-Ping Hsu, the event commenced with a salute, marking the beginning of the annual meeting. President Pei-Ching Dai delivered a speech, highlighting the significance of hosting a physical annual meeting for the first time in five years since the pandemic began, congratulating all the students who received awards this year, and expressing gratitude to all friends who supported the alumni association. A special recognition was given to the board of directors with exquisite gift cards presented, while activities from the previous year were introduced and reviewed.
Elaine Hsiao praised JCCAA for establishing a platform for overseas alumni to connect and integrate into mainstream society, emphasizing the immense significance of providing scholarships to young people. She conveyed her highest regards and appreciation, commending the leadership of Pei-Ching Dai and congratulating the incoming new president, Chien-Tzu Gu, for the thriving affairs of the association.
During the annual meeting, appreciation certificates were presented to sponsors such as Crown Mark Inc.’s Bai-Huang Chen, Da-Zhan Zheng, Guo-Li Hsu, Yi-Chung Ho, Tong Hsu, Yung-Nan Chang of Hengfeng Bank, Elaine Hsiao of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ken-Ping Hsu, Hong-Jhih Yeh, and Nan-Ting Chang, as well as scholarship sponsors. Scholarship convener Da-Zhan Zheng introduced this year’s 23 scholarships, awarded to a total of 31 recipients, including 16 high school students, 10 university students, and 5 master’s and doctoral students, with a total scholarship amount of $71,000. JCCAA was established in 1987 and has been offering scholarships since 1991, with a total scholarship amount exceeding $1,730,000 to date, thanks to the generosity of long-term supporters.
After the 31 scholarship recipients each received their medals on stage, Mr. Jen Wong dedicated the song “Dream” as a blessing, encouraging them to believe in their own abilities and continue pursuing their dreams, making the impossible dreams a reality. Elton Tai, a scholarship recipient from the International Taipei Master Star Music Festival, performed Mozart’s Rondo in G Major on the violin alongside Chao-Liang Lin.
The highlight of the evening was the handover from the outgoing president to the new president and board of directors. Under the guidance of Chairman Ken-Ping Hsu, President Pei-Ching Dai passed on the official seal to the newly elected president, Chien-Tzu Gu. Elaine Hsiao and Yung-Rong Wang, on behalf of the Overseas Community Affairs Council Commissioner Chia-Ching Hsu, presented appreciation and congratulatory certificates to Pei-Ching Dai and Chien-Tzu Gu. Chien-Tzu Gu, who obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree from National Taiwan University and pursued a PhD in the United States, has been actively involved in community welfare and overseas Chinese community activities, serving as a role model for young overseas Chinese. In her remarks, she welcomed young overseas Chinese and veterans to join JCCAA, introduced the new team for 2024, and invited them to the stage.
The event concluded with a captivating performance by renowned pianist Ming Yang and the award-winning student Elton Tai.