Thank you Maam, with utmost respect and reverence to our Almighty God who has gathered us today,

to the esteemed
faculty and staff of TNHS, distinguished guests, parents, guardians, families and friends of our graduates and to the
graduates themselves, a remarkable morning to all.
I am truly humbled and delighted to be invited to speak at the first-ever face-to-face commencement exercise held at my
alma matter after two years of community lockdowns and no momentous gathering such this.
As I stand before you, I see more than just a sea of confident, smiling and eager faces of graduates looking simultaneously
unified and diverse in your caps and gowns. More than the audience, I see your friends, families, and teachers who have
supported, loved, and nurtured you with knowledge throughout these years. With that, may I request our graduates to
stand, kindly face your proud parents or guardians then your dear teachers, bow down your heads as you express how
grateful you are as you say, “Thank you for all the love and support”. Now, let us give a big round of applause for your
dearest teachers and proudest parents and guardians.
These simple gestures depict your utmost respect and appreciation to all of their sacrifices, which have allowed us to
gather today to celebrate your accomplishments.
Thank you graduates. You may now all be seated.
We are rejoicing the end of a chapter of your lives and the commencement of a new one that is yet to be unfold.
Therefore, let me share some insights and lessons I’ve learned, consolidated counsel I’ve heard and valued, and attributes
I embodied hoping these will serve as your guiding principles and wisdoms as you go through the maze of the coming
days.
I was in your shoes few years ago, so ecstatic to graduate from HS yet terrified of what was ahead. I was shy, afraid yet so
determined to fly and explore. Hence, I equipped myself with lots of words of motivation and affirmation to boost my
confidence.
You may ask, what are these words?
Armored with quotes that fuel my desire to finish a chapter of my life are the following:
1. Poverty is not a barrier to achievement nor to education. I am one of the living witnesses to this claim. I was a scholar
all throughout my pursuit of my bachelor’s degree. To tell you, I knew a lot of aspirants who like me, were scholars and
some were juggling their studies with their part time jobs as working students. This coming academic year, some of you
may proceed to college funded by your parents or become a scholar, while others will work to support their families or
will save money to pursue their studies. Whichever you are, instill in your minds that let not the social status define the
boundary of your existence. Many chances await for individuals who work hard to realize their ambitions.
2. Forget the risk and take the fall. If that’s what you want. Then it’s worth it all. You have to be a goal setter and a risk
taker. If I held back years ago and succumbed to the crushing weight of fear of failures and rejections, I would never be
here with you. It took a lot of courage and risk to take those terrifying exams, including the qualifying exam to become an
honored DOST scholar that helped me financially and morally to earn my degree and led me to take the GELE last March
which despite of lots of postponement due to unprecedented circumstances, I believe great things await for those who are
willing to wait and willing to risk. Have courage to take those qualifying exams either it’s for scholarships, admission test
for your desired course, maybe an assessment or enhancement of your skills or a job interview. We will never know, what
if it will turn out to be in your favor, if not, at the very least, you've tried, learned something and try again.
3. For those undecided, lost and confused. I know how you feel. You feel unsure, nothing to work towards each day. I
know well the questions that resonate most profoundly in each of your hearts for you are standing at crossroads of your
lives. Remember, it is not a dead end. You have choices to make which means that our lives are the result of the choices
we make. Ponder and realize within yourself, ‘What is your calling? What should you devote your life's work to, so that
you can look back and see that you made a difference and that you lived a life without regrets?’. It sounds so
overwhelming and complicated. To tell you, it is. I did not realize at first what would I pursue. I don’t have an exact
dream or ambition. I just want to study, to graduate and have a job yet no fundamental plan what path will I follow. So I
fervently pray each day, asking for intervention, enlightenment and guidance. It is like He was telling me at that time ‘Do
what your heart desires’. I assessed my strengths and knew that I enjoy the idea of measuring, that I can tolerate some
math problems so maybe I could challenge myself to earn a degree beyond my wildest dream so I went to a less paved
path: for I knew that I am eager to learn about the complexity w/ regards to locations, projections, area, spatial
information management, and Earth's positioning, so I enrolled under BSGdE program in NORSU. To tell you, I am not
the smartest in the room but I am one of the diligent students who believe that with unshakeable perseverance and passion,
you will excel and finish what you have started.
So I may say, know your potentials, cultivate what excites you and put Him first. Ask for His enlightenment and mercy
that may your will be aligned to HIS will. He hears and listens. Just talk and ask Him for He knows better. He is faithful
to me as He is to you.
Then, once you realized and mapped out your way to your life’s endeavor, know your priorities and be disciplined.
Discipline is a form of self-love that entails about denial of today’s pleasure for tomorrow’s reward. Endure all the
hardships. Fixed your gaze on future’s dream realization and not on today’s struggles and sufferings. I assure you it will
all be worth it.
Furthermore, there are many quotes that aspire me to live by, all are true and all inspire me. Like the bits of my favorite
poem, 'Desiderata,' which I first read in my senior year, as it was plastered in a corner of the room of Maam Ida Ocao, our
adviser and as if it gave me an overview of the life ahead. For it is said, “If you compare yourself with others, you may
become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.” Accept and embrace your
imperfections, focus on your own growth, cease on competing and comparing yourself to others. For all you know, just
like you and me, everyone is trying to figure things out. I am still finding my way into this world just like all of you.
As there will be a phase of your life where you tend to beat yourself up too hard, you will criticize and question your
dreams and existence. Remember the words of Max Ehrmann who wrote the said poem, ‘Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore, be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in
your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.’
WOW! Can you comprehend how inspiring and uplifting these words are? These help me overcome my insecurities,
anxieties and self-inflicted dilemmas. Be kind to yourself and enjoy the years ahead of you.
You are extraordinary thus, silence the voice that keeps on invalidating your presence and dreams. You are limitless.
Thus, I commend all of you on how you able to survive all those academic challenges from self-learning mode to blended
education. Together we say, I AM LIMITLESS. Thus, exceed other’s perception and expectation from you, and go
beyond the limits they have set for you for you can and you will. You can be more and do more.
As what have Christopher Robin said ‘you’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you
think’. Keep these words: Don’t fear. Only believe.
Finally, graduates, bear with you all the lessons you've learned, the good characters you've developed and the memories
you've shared and treasured to win over any challenges that may arise your way. As what our today’s theme said:
Pursuing dreams and Fostering Resilience in the Face of Adversity. For amidst tribulations, holistically be steadfast in
chasing your dreams.For I see potential young adults who are responsible, confident and determined to succeed. May our
God bless your journey and destination. Congratulations Batch of 2022.