GRADUATION GUEST OF HONOR

Thank you Principal Miguel C. Javier, to the rector, administration officials,

members of the faculty, family and friends, and most importantly the class of

2017. Indeed, I am greatly honored to be with you today for your graduation

from one of the finest high schools in the Philippines. It has been almost 20 years

to the day that I graduated from my high school. I remember a lot of things about

that day. I remember sweating profusely under my toga since the Iwata

airblasters could only blast air to a maximum of 2 feet and I was seated two

sections away. I remember my feet throbbing because I was not accustomed to

wearing just three inches of high heels. I remember my year-level coordinator

constantly reminding me to smile because it was, supposedly, a joyous

celebration but I did not mind her because I really could not bring myself to

smile in that summer heat. Of all the things that I remember though, I remember

that I just wanted to get the diploma and go home, relax, and enjoy my 5-month

freedom. So I promise, as King Henry the 8th allegedly promised each of his six

wives, Dont worry, I wont keep you long. The universitys motto is Veritas in

Caritate, and to quote my Christian Ethics professor back in college, Truth in

Love. From the way I understood it, it means that we should share difficult
truths in a gentle, kind, inoffensive manner, and that is exactly what I am going to

do today.

First of all, I am going to tell you how college is different from high school.

You will begin your first year in college in a few months, and I know that most of

you, if not all, are excited since it is a totally new and different chapter of your

lives. In high school, you received a general education and sometimes, that meant

that you had to study subjects that you were not interested in. In college, this

time, you get to study what you are actually interested in (the course you have

chosen). I know this feeling of excitement because I felt the same way when I

was your age. I was giddy over the fact that I was going to legitimately learn

more about the human body because the program that I chose was Medical

Technology. I thought that memorizing muscles and the parts of the brain were

cool and fun. I told myself Oh, now that I am going to study topics that I

actually like, college will be easier and much more fun. What I did not

anticipate was sleeping at 3 am just to study for an organic chemistry quiz,

waking up dizzy at 4:45 am for a 7 am class, and then still failing the quiz. In

high school, I would be in bed by 9:30, and when I failed a quiz, I was able to

recover from it and ace the next test. In college, when I failed the first quiz, I

failed all. It is true that there is always rain after summer, and failing after
working so hard can be so uninspiring. What is my point then? The reason why I

am standing right in front of you today is because of the persistence that I

developed. I would not be here right now if I just gave up then and there. I tried

different techniques in studying organic chemistry (none of which actually

worked but I still tried), I seeked for help by attending tutor classes, and I still

stayed up at 3 am just to fully understand the topic. I definitely overworked

myself and college really tested my character, but in the end, I learned how to

remain optimistic and hopeful, telling myself that I would not let my failed quiz

ruin my day. It trained me to become a mentally strong person, and that was

accompanied with tenacity. Even though I did not learn anything from the

subject, I was able to develop persistence. Never underestimate the power of

persistence, because this is the trait that drove successful people to their success,

and this what actually keeps you sane. Let me now complete the quote that I

stated earlier: there is always rain after summer, but day always follows the night.

Stay tenacious.

Let us rewind to my graduation. I do not remember who our guest speaker

was, but I remember her saying that the first step to success is to wake up early.

Because the early bird gets the worm, right? Let me tell you this my dear

graduates: the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
This is where my second difficult truth comes in. Procrastination is real. Waking

up early does not necessarily mean that it entails success. I say this based on

experience. I am not a morning person. My brain does not function well at 5 in

the morning, so it is actually counterproductive if I wake up before the sun is out

and I start my work because my output would have no quality. I also

procrastinated a lot of times back in high school and in college, like a normal

human being. Why am I telling you this then if I am actually setting a bad

example? Hear me justify myself. It is okay to procrastinate. It is totally okay to

wake up at 9 in the morning then start your work at 10. Disclaimer: I have

nothing against morning people. It is also totally okay to wake up at 3 am and do

your work. My point is, you can procrastinate, but be sure that you know your

flow. Be sure that you are self-aware and that you are completely confident that

your work ethic would produce the most superior results. Be sure that you do not

cram too much and that you would not end up regretting your decisions in the

end. Be sure that you are able to work efficiently, and do not overwork or

pressure yourself too much. With a sound mind comes a productive and smart

mind. The actual definition of the word procrastinate is to delay or postpone

action, to put off doing something. Be sure that you put off things for the right

reasons, like sleeping for a total of 8 hours or reading an interesting book. That
way, without forcing yourself to do things, you could find more time to actually

enjoy your life and that you are able to relax. Remember, before you are a

student, you are a human being. Give yourself the happiness that you deserve.

Now let us talk about the people that you will meet in college. The

personalities that you will soon encounter are really different, as you all came

from very different backgrounds and schools that differ in culture. There will be

people who would influence you, good or bad, there will be people whose lives

you would touch. You will spend time with people of similar interests, and you

will find people with the same sense of humor. You will also work with people

who have a totally different mindset from yours, it will be really frustrating, and

conflict (or sometimes even tension) is inevitable. Your character will definitely

be tested, but give it some time, and you will actually see how complex and deep

people can be. You will end up being friends with the people you least expected

to be friends with. You will realize that you are going to need each other as the

years get harder and harder and the academic load increases. You will realize

that, despite all the vices, freeloading, and misunderstandings, these people are

actually worth keeping. I only hope that you all avoid judging people without

knowledge about their lives. Judging people without fully knowing or

understanding their situations was one of my biggest mistakes I have ever

committed, and I wish I had known back then that it would not lead to anything

good. Develop healthy friendships, nurture it, and value every person. Take the

time to get to know a person, as Rome was not built in a day. Although, know

when and how to be careful with your words and the truth, because Rome may

not have been built in a day, but it burned in one. Be kind and sensitive to others

ALWAYS, even when it gets very frustrating already, because you will never

know if they are actually going through something. Send out reviewers, help each

other, do not be academically selfish. College is not a competition, and you can

all get good grades together. There is nothing wrong with that. Develop your

personality in college, and take this as an opportunity to shape yourselves into

decent human beings, because you are going to need the values of patience,

respect, tolerance, honesty, and most importantly, trust when you will meet more

different people in your careers. Remember, you will not enjoy success if you

have no one to share it with because they all hate you.

To the class of 2017, you are moments from graduating. Moments away

from leaving this place you call your second home for the past several years.

Remember that this place provided you the finest training ground to explore your

limits and realize your potential, and I truly hope that you will continue to uphold

the values that this institution has ingrained in you. Try your best to keep in mind
the things I have told you tenacity, efficiency, and a good personality. You have

all had a great year and I am proud of each and every one of you. Now, it is time

to go out into the real world and I just want to wish you all good luck. You are

going to need it.

Thank you.