Weirong Li Credits NYU Stern Peer Network With Career Transformation

NYU Stern

Rigorous technical training and collaborative peers transformed childhood self-doubt into professional resilience, turning an intimidating city into a lifelong professional foundation.

AI-assisted summary of Weirong Li | NYU Stern MS Convocation, Class of 2025 — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2026-09-22

Key ideas

Weirong Li delivered the convocation address for the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025, recounting her journey from a childhood in Hungary to graduating from Stern. (0:05)
Li addressed her initial self-doubts about quantitative subjects, noting how the program helped her transform from believing she was bad at math to mastering complex topics and learning to code. (2:10)
She highlighted the role of the diverse international cohort and faculty in transforming an intimidating New York City environment into a supportive community. (2:10)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by NYU Stern on September 22, 2026, this video captures graduate Weirong Li (MS ’25) delivering her convocation address to Stern's MS Class of 2025 on May 14, 2025. The page description highlights the graduation event and directs viewers to an archival recap on the school's official website.

## TL;DR Weirong Li traces her journey from a 13-year-old tourist from Hungary gazing at the NYU flag to graduating from Stern despite years of self-doubt about her quantitative abilities. She shares how the rigorous curriculum reshaped her confidence and technical skills, proving to her younger self that she could conquer complex subjects and even learn to code. Emphasizing the collective strength of the international cohort, Li celebrates how classmates supported one another through demanding coursework, relocations, and job interviews to make New York feel like home. She concludes by thanking the faculty and peers who fostered their growth, affirming that commencement marks the start of a lifelong alumni community.

## Atmosphere & style The address carries a warm, reflective, and deeply encouraging tone that balances personal vulnerability with celebratory pride. Li’s candid admission of past imposter syndrome creates an intimate, relatable connection with the audience before shifting toward shared triumph. Watching the speech feels inspiring and heartfelt, capturing the emotional arc of a childhood dream realized alongside a resilient, close-knit cohort.

## Bulletin - [00:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=5s) Weirong Li delivered the convocation address for the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025, recounting her journey from a childhood in Hungary to graduating from Stern. - [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) Li addressed her initial self-doubts about quantitative subjects, noting how the program helped her transform from believing she was bad at math to mastering complex topics and learning to code. - [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) She highlighted the role of the diverse international cohort and faculty in transforming an intimidating New York City environment into a supportive community.

## Key takeaways - [00:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=5s) Weirong Li opens her address by thanking Dean Eggers, faculty, families, and fellow graduates of the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025. - [00:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=5s) Li recalls visiting New York City at age 13 from a small town in Hungary and spotting the NYU purple flag, sparking an aspirational dream. - [00:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=5s) Just one year prior to enrollment, Li stood outside Stern as a tourist grappling with self-doubt and questioning if she could fit into a prestigious business school. - [00:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=5s) A long-held belief of being bad at math initially fed her insecurity about succeeding in a quantitative graduate program. - [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) The graduate curriculum went beyond technical finance concepts like equilibrium asset pricing to fundamentally reshape her identity and confidence. - [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) Personal transformation allowed Li to conquer technical hurdles, remarking that she can now even code. - [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) The core of the Stern master's experience was shaped by a diverse student body representing cultures and perspectives from across the globe. - [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) Classmates relied on each other to handle grueling academic deadlines, job interview stress, and the transition of relocating to New York City. - [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) Peer collaboration and faculty encouragement helped turn an intimidating city into a welcoming home. - [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) Li emphasizes that graduation marks the beginning of an enduring relationship with an active, supportive alumni network rather than an end.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=5s) An Impossible Dream: From Hungary to Washington Square

Opening her address with gratitude to Dean Eggers, Weirong Li greets the faculty, proud families, and her fellow graduates of the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025. She transports the audience back to when she was just a 13-year-old girl visiting New York City for the very first time from a small town in Hungary. Walking through the bustling streets wide-eyed and thoroughly mesmerized by the city’s electric atmosphere, she caught sight of the iconic purple NYU flag fluttering in the wind. In that instant, she quietly thought to herself, "hmm, maybe one day." At the time, attending NYU felt like an utterly impossible fantasy, yet that vivid memory anchored itself deep within her imagination.

Fast-forwarding to just one year before enrolling in the master's program, Li found herself standing once again outside the Stern building—this time as an adult tourist snapping a photograph and wondering what it would truly feel like to belong to such a prestigious academic community. Self-doubt loomed large during that visit; she had spent her life believing she was "bad at math" and convinced herself that someone with her background would never fit into a competitive business school. Despite those internal insecurities, the spark lit by her childhood dream proved resilient enough to propel her forward, bringing her back to Washington Square not as a sightseer, but as a graduating student.

[02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) Transformation, Community, and Stepping into the World

Reflecting on the rigorous curriculum, Li explains that her graduate education provided far more than an understanding of technical concepts like "equilibrium asset pricing." More profoundly, it reshaped her entire identity: "The girl who thought she couldn't handle numbers can now even code a little." She notes with warmth that her younger self would be astonished and deeply proud of how far she has come.

Yet personal growth was only half of the journey. Li emphasizes that the true core of the Stern experience lies in its vibrant, diverse community, brought together by peers hailing from every corner of the globe who arrived with unique backgrounds, perspectives, and relentless grit. Over the course of the intensive program, classmates banded together to navigate grueling academic deadlines, nerve-wracking job interviews, and the chaotic process of relocating to New York City. Because of the support found both within Stern's walls and across the city, New York transitioned from an intimidating metropolis into a true home.

Li expresses heartfelt gratitude to the faculty who continually challenged the cohort, the peers who inspired one another, and the broader Stern community whose faith helped students unlock capabilities they never knew they possessed. Closing her remarks, she reminds the audience that graduation does not represent a final farewell, but rather the beginning of an enduring relationship with an alumni network that lifts each other up and gives back. With enthusiasm, she offers her final cheer: "Congratulations, Class of 2025. The best is yet to come."

## Notable quotes > [00:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=5s) hmm, maybe one day. — Weirong Li

> [00:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=5s) bad at math — Weirong Li

> [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) equilibrium asset pricing — Weirong Li

> [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) The girl who thought she couldn't handle numbers can now even code a little. — Weirong Li

> [02:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8&t=130s) Congratulations, Class of 2025. The best is yet to come. — Weirong Li

## Mentioned Weirong Li, Dean Eggers, NYU Stern, New York University, Washington Square, New York City, Hungary

## Video description Weirong Li (MS ’25) addresses Stern's MS Class of 2025 on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. See additional features here: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/graduation/archive/ms-convocation-class-2025-recap

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BAtrcR2bG8)

中文简报

Weirong Li将职业转型归功于NYU Stern的同学网络严格的技术训练与合作互助的同侪将童年的自我怀疑转化为职业韧性，让令人畏惧的城市化为终身职业基石。 Weirong Li回顾了自己从一名凝视着NYU校旗的13岁匈牙利游客，到克服多年来对自身量化能力的自我怀疑并最终从Stern毕业的历程。她分享了严格的课程设置如何重塑了她的信心与技术能力，向年少的自己证明了她不仅能够攻克复杂学科，甚至还能学会编程。Li强调了国际化学生群体的集体力量，赞扬了同学们在繁重的课业、搬迁以及求职面试中相互扶持，让纽约有了家的感觉。最后，她向促进大家成长的教职员工和同侪表达了感谢，并确信毕业典礼正是一个终身校友社群的开端。 Weirong Li为NYU Stern 2025届硕士毕业生发表毕业演讲，回顾了自己从在匈牙利的童年走向Stern毕业的历程。 (0:05) Li谈及自己最初对量化科目的自我怀疑，并指出该项目如何帮助她从自认为数学不好转变为掌握复杂课题并学会编程。 (2:10) 她强调了多元化的国际学生群体和教职员工所发挥的作用，是他们让原本令人畏惧的纽约市环境变成了一个相互支持的群体。 (2:10)

Reading summary

In her convocation address to the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025, student speaker Weirong Li reflected on overcoming long-standing self-doubt to complete a rigorous business education, emphasizing the transformative role of peer support and academic perseverance. Overcoming Self-Doubt and Realizing Childhood Ambitions (0:05) Li recounted that her aspiration to attend NYU originated at age 13 during a visit to New York City from a small town in Hungary, where seeing the university's purple flag inspired a quiet ambition that initially felt unattainable. Even a year before enrolling, standing outside the Stern building as an adult tourist, she continued to grapple with significant self-doubt, assuming that being self-described as "bad at math" disqualified her from succeeding in a competitive business school environment. Despite these reservations about her background and quantitative abilities, Li pursued the master's program, transitioning from an uncertain visitor into a graduating student at Washington Square. Academic Transformation and Collaborative Community (2:10) Reflecting on her graduate studies, Li noted that the curriculum reshaped her personal capabilities beyond mastering technical subjects such as equilibrium asset pricing. She observed that overcoming her apprehension toward quantitative work allowed her to learn basic coding, representing a profound shift in identity compared to her earlier expectations. Li credited the cohort's collective resilience with easing the transition into an intimidating environment. Students from diverse international backgrounds supported one another through demanding coursework, relocations to New York City, and recruitment processes, turning the city into a shared home and establishing an enduring alumni network committed to mutual support. Li framed graduation not as a final departure, but as the launch of an ongoing alumni partnership, expressing optimism about the future achievements of the Class of 2025.

Source quotes

[0:05] Weirong Li: hmm, maybe one day. [0:05] Weirong Li: bad at math [2:10] Weirong Li: equilibrium asset pricing [2:10] Weirong Li: The girl who thought she couldn't handle numbers can now even code a little. [2:10] Weirong Li: Congratulations, Class of 2025. The best is yet to come.

Original transcript

[0:05] Weirong Li: Thank you, Dean Eggers. [0:09] Good afternoon, esteemed faculty, family, [0:13] and the NYU Stern, [0:16] and this class of 2025. [0:24] When I was 13-years-old, [0:27] a girl from a small town in Hungary, [0:31] I visited New York for the first time. [0:36] I remember walking through [0:39] the city with wide eyes, [0:43] mesmerized by the energy. [0:47] Then I saw it. The iconic [0:52] purple NYU flag waving in the wind. [0:58] I thought, hmm, maybe one day. [1:05] It felt like an impossible dream, [1:10] but that moment stayed with me. [1:14] Fast forward to a year before this program, [1:18] I stood in front of [1:20] the Stern building as a tourist, [1:23] taking a picture and dreaming [1:27] of what it might be [1:28] like to be a part of this community. [1:31] At the time, I [1:34] doubted I could ever belong here. [1:37] I'd always been considered bad at math, [1:42] someone who wouldn't fit [1:45] into a business program. [1:48] But deep down, I believed in [1:51] the resilience that dream sparked. [1:55] And here I am, back, [1:59] not as a visitor, [2:01] but as a graduate student. [2:10] This program has taught me [2:14] so much more than equilibrium asset pricing. [2:20] It has completely transformed [2:24] how I see myself. [2:26] The girl who thought she couldn't handle [2:29] numbers can now even code a little. [2:36] Young me would be [2:38] amazed and maybe a little proud. [2:43] But this experience isn't [2:46] just about personal growth. [2:49] It's also about community. [2:53] I've been surrounded by [2:55] classmates from every corner of the globe, [2:59] each carrying their unique stories, [3:03] experiences, and determination. [3:07] Together, we've supported each other [3:11] through tough deadlines, job interviews, [3:15] and even moving to [3:17] New York, a city that's now my home, [3:22] not only because of this program, [3:24] but because of every person both in and [3:27] beyond Stern that made [3:29] this next chapter possible. [3:38] This isn't just a school. [3:41] It's a network of [3:43] people who lift each other up, [3:45] and I'm grateful to be a part of it. [3:49] To the professors who challenged us, [3:53] the classmates who inspired us, [3:56] and the Stern community who believed in us. [4:00] Thank you. [4:07] You didn't just give us an education. [4:11] You helped us discover [4:13] what we're all capable of. [4:17] As we step forward into [4:20] the world, this isn't goodbye. [4:24] It's the beginning of [4:27] our journey as a part of the Stern family, [4:31] a family that keeps giving [4:33] back and cheering each other on. [4:37] Congratulations, Class of 2025. [4:42] The best is yet to come. [4:46] Thank you.