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Taiwan’s top university, National Taiwan University held its 2026 commencement ceremonies on Saturday. The highlight of the event was none other than the moving speech made by a PhD student named Nathan from Tanzania. Long before a PhD in environmental engineering, he was a gifted kid who grew up in poverty. A chance encounter with the late Dr. Jane Goodall changed his life, allowing him to go to boarding school and eventually come to Taiwan. He says that his dream is to build a school in his hometown, so that kids like him could also turn their life around through education.

He thanks his professors in Taigi. This is Nathan Thadeo Yoashi from Tanzania. He was the representative for international students at National Taiwan University’s commencement on Saturday. His story is nothing short of extraordinary.

Nathan Thadeo Yoashi
NTU Representative for Class of 2026
Every day, I would just find a small piece of sweet potato, and swallow it down with water. Because I had no shoes, my father would use a thick needle before bed to pry out the thorns and parasites embedded in my feet. Taiwan has not only granted me knowledge. It has given me a warm and loving home.

In his eighth year in Taiwan, Nathan is not only graduating with a PhD from National Taiwan University. He’s also happily married with a son. His speech has gone viral, touching everyone with his resilience, gratitude and the spirit of paying it forward.

Nathan Thadeo Yoashi
NTU Representative for Class of 2026
I am still that child who survived on half a sweet potato and unfiltered water. I am still that child who had no electricity and could only study under the glow of the moonlight. Fortunately, with Dr. Jane Goodall’s full financial sponsorship, I was able to study at a boarding school.

While in elementary school, he was a top student and learned to speak English better than everyone else, and so he was selected to interpret for Jane Goodall, who was conducting research nearby, when she visited his school. Under her recommendation and sponsorship, he eventually went on to study in boarding school in Tanzania, and later arrived in Taiwan for university. Nathan says that now that he has the ability, he will carry Jane Goodall’s legacy forward by giving back.

Nathan Thadeo Yoashi
NTU Representative for Class of 2026
We are working hard to solve the agricultural, soil and water resource issues caused by mining pollution. I save half of my stipend every month to sponsor five children back home, so that they can go to school. My dream is to build a school in my hometown, to give to more children who are just like me.

Nathan says that his dream is to build a school in his hometown, so that kids who grew up in poverty like him could have the chance to change their destinies through education.

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