Lilibel Gomez Martin, a student representative from Cuba, speaks at the 2017 Jiangsu University Graduation Ceremony on June 21. [Photo/xdkb.net]

Lilibel Gomez Martin, a Cuban student at Jiangsu University, drew tears and applause at the school’s commencement on June 21 as she gave a passionate speech about her love for Jiangsu and her alma mater.

A student representative at the university, Lilibel moved thousands of her classmates at the ceremony by sharing her story of her hard work over the years, the opportunities China and Jiangsu University have given her and the progress she has made.

Watching Jet Li’s martial arts movies first inspired her to learn about Chinese culture, the young Cuban said.

She started learning Chinese at the Confucius Institute of the University of Habana, where she took part in various Chinese language contests, received many awards for her excellent performances, and laid a good foundation for her further studies.

But her dream was always to study and live in China.