A friend recently told me the story of the valedictorian in his daughter’s graduation year, a student named Ali.

The graduation ceremony took place in June at a Ghent school characterized as “white,” since only 11.5% of students have a foreign-language background.

Visibly moved yet incredibly charismatic, seventeen-year-old Ali takes the stage. The teenager, who had fled Syria, had been living in Belgium for just three years, since he was fourteen years old. As the top student of his year, graduating with a focus on Latin-mathematics, he expressed his gratitude to the school, teachers, and fellow students. The audience of parents was equally moved, and many approached the young man out of curiosity and with a spontaneous desire to offer congratulations and express their admiration.

Three years have now passed, and Ali will soon begin his fourth year of medical studies. Professors and students alike know Ali, not only for his eagerness to learn and the countless questions he poses to his instructors, but also because he’s always the first to help fellow students and provide additional explanations when needed.

Ali has no idea that this text is dedicated to him. Through his remarkable adaptability and unique personality, he enriches our society in his own way and shows the path forward for many other young people, regardless of their background.

The world of tomorrow will be one where adaptability and perseverance will become essential, the ability to write one’s own story.