Chamber staff gives keynote address to Moody Foundation Scholarship Recipients

For the past 10 years, the Austin Chamber has supported education through its DTC70 program. One key staff member of our educational pursuits, Zhelun Chen, was invited to provide recipients of the 2018 Moody Foundation Scholarship a keynote address.

“I know how hard all of you have worked this year—be it college applications or applying for the Moody Foundation Scholarship—it takes hard work and dedication,” said Chen. “Congratulations, it paid off! All of you should very proud of your achievements!”

A 2016 graduate of the University of Texas, Zhelun was also a recipient of the Moody Foundation Scholarship and credits the program for taking care of him during the four years he was in college.

“All of the Moody Scholars—past and present—are forever grateful for your devotion to our well-being,” said Chen. “Also, we would have all starved in college if not for your support!”

As a millennial, Chen’s advice to his fellow cohort was to not be afraid of their age but channel their ambition to make a positive difference in the world any way they can. Zhelun shared his three virtues to success—follow your dreams, resilience, and build institutions—along with inspirational stories of leaders including Martin Luther King, Mozart, Louis Braille, Buster Douglas, and Katie Stagliano.

“If you think that MLK, Louis Braille, and Mozart only changed the world because they were chosen by “providence," then you have it all wrong,” said Chen. “They were ordinary people like you and me that found themselves in extraordinary situations and chose to do something about it. Every single one of them had moments where they doubted themselves, like you, like me. They had moments where they worried about school and friendships and whether they would be accepted by others, like you, like me. They had moments where they worried about loneliness and failure and whether they would ever succeed, like you, like me. The bottom line is this: all of you will change the world. Some of you will change it in big ways, affecting millions of people. And some of you will change the world in more personal ways, such as helping a family member or someone who needs it. But let me tell you right now, one is not more important than the other. If you help people in mass or one-by-one, you will have an impact on the world. All you have to do is help one person, be kind to one person.”

Since 1969, the Moody Foundation Scholarship Program has awarded over $15 million to assist more than 5,000 students throughout Texas. The goal of the program is to provide financial assistance to qualified high school students in their pursuit of an undergraduate degree in Texas. In 2004, the foundation has expanded the program to include two high schools in Dallas, and two additional high schools in Austin. Currently, the foundation serves 16 schools and more than $1.2 million is committed annually to these educational institutions.

“I believe in the dreams that you guys have, I believe in the resilience and the hard work that got you guys here tonight, and I believe that you guys will be future stakeholders that will change this world for the better and invest for the future! So never stop dreaming, never be afraid, and always remember the sky is the limits!”

For more information regarding the Moody Foundation, click here.