Kathy Fang '00'96 Speaks at the 2025 Convent Alumni Induction

Photo Courtesy of Agency Moanalani Jeffrey

On Friday, May 23, 2025, the Convent High School Class of 2025 gathered in the Mary Mardel, RSCJ Chapel for Alumni Induction, a meaningful tradition that kicks off the graduates' end-of-year festivities known as Senior Week. This ceremony marks the transition from students to alumni, formally welcoming each member of the graduating class into the global alumni community and affirming the lifelong bond they share with each other and fellow Network Schools around the world. 

The ceremony includes a welcome address, remarks from an alumni speaker, and the presentation of a Sacred Heart pin, Network Passport and Convent & Stuart Hall luggage tag. These symbolic items serve as a reminder that our graduates remain part of something greater, an alumni network rooted in shared values, friendship and a commitment to community, leadership and service. The 2025 ceremony began with thoughtful words from Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ, Provincial for the Society of the Sacred Heart. Sister Cooke offered words of encouragement grounded in the mission and vision of Sacred Heart education. 

Following Sister Cooke’s remarks, Kathy Fang '00'96, award-winning chef, author and restaurateur, addressed the senior class. Reflecting on her journey from a 6th-grade transfer student to a confident culinary leader, Kathy shared how her Sacred Heart education helped her find her voice and the courage to lead with creativity and authenticity. She encouraged graduates to carry the Sacred Heart Goals with them and use their foundation to shape bold, purposeful lives. 

Explore Kathy’s speech in its entirety below, and learn more about her career journey and time at Convent in the 2019–20 Alumni Bulletin profile.

Good afternoon, faculty, families, friends, and most importantly, the graduating class of 2025.

It is both an honor and a joy to stand before you today on this momentous occasion that marks not an end but a beautiful beginning.

Growing up in a traditional Chinese household, I was taught to follow a safe, predictable path. When I transferred into Convent in 6th grade, I was a very shy girl, opposite of who you would now see on television. I was afraid to even vocalize dreams and aspirations because I feared failure and disappointment. The community at Convent took me in and gave me the courage to both speak up comfortably and dream with confidence, to the point where it became innate. The greatest gift Sacred Heart gave me wasn't just knowledge — it was permission to rewrite the script.

When people ask how I achieved success as a restaurateur and chef, they expect answers like hard work and determination, which is true. However, what has carried me through were the tools I gained from my education both at home and at Sacred Heart.

Your journey at Convent has been shaped by five goals: personal faith, love of learning, serving others, building community and developing wise freedom. These aren't just words — they've become part of who you are. Beyond equations and essays, you've developed a moral compass that points toward compassion and justice, forming friendships that have sustained you through challenges and celebrated your triumphs.

The path ahead will twist in unexpected ways. What matters most isn't having all the answers but cultivating the courage to ask meaningful questions. The world needs young women brave enough to forge new paths.

In my kitchen, I follow classical techniques but create dishes no one has tasted before. Your Sacred Heart education is your technique — now you have the ability to create something the world has never seen.

When you face inevitable setbacks, draw strength from the resilience you've developed here. Those late nights studying weren't just about grades — they were training you to persist when the world tells you to quit. Remember the challenging conversations, the moments when you persevered despite doubt. 

One day, perhaps when you're teaching others or watching your own children learn, you'll have a moment of profound gratitude when you truly understand what Sacred Heart gave you. For me, that clarity came while mentoring young chefs and again when choosing schools for my daughter.

Class of 2025, you're not just graduates — you're the next chapter in a story of women who refused to accept the world as it was. Be bold enough to dream of the world as it could be, and brave enough to help create it.

You have all the ingredients. Now go create something extraordinary.

Congratulations, Class of 2025.

Photo (left to right): Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ, Provincial for the Society of the Sacred Heart, Kathy Fang '00'96 and Rachel Simpson, Chief Academic Officer & Convent High School Division Head