Photo: people.cn

Just as the 2017 graduation season comes to a close, many seats were unexpectedly left empty during the commencement ceremony held last Friday in China’s National University of Defense Technology. But where were the new graduates on their big day?

With severe floods lashing the country in recent days, 150 new graduates of the school chose to fight floods and carrying out emergency work, instead of sitting back and listening to a graduation speech at their alma mater in Changsha, Hunan Province.

Photo: people.cn

The graduates were seen building a dam with sandbags along Taojiang River of Yiyang, north of Hunan Province, and even standing guard along the riverbank throughout the night, according to local media.

As soon as the photos surfaced online, netizens were quick to give their thumbs up to the youngsters, praising them as “the future of the country” and “a good example of today’s young people.”

Photo: people.cn

The country also launched emergency response measures for flood relief on Saturday, and dispatched eight work teams to southern China’s flood-stricken areas. Some 300,000 people have been displaced after heavy rain in the province, according to the latest figures.

Although they missed a milestone moment at their graduation ceremony, such courage will definitely stand them in good stead for the next step in their lives.