Guest Speaker, Hon. Alex P. Calingasan, Bukidnon Vice Governor; Mr. Christopher Maque, Senior School Administrator; School Officials, faculty and staff, graduating students, parents, guardians and guests: it is with my amiable gratitude to speak before you.
Most of you would single me out as the most intelligent among the graduates. Wearing my heart on my sleeve, I say, I am flattered of the thought of it; However, I cannot deign with you. I stand here sharing the same sentiments of each graduate: All of us had our share of adversities such as academic-related struggles and barefaced dissuasion attacks of those who are above us.
I tell you, none of us would be here today without the different kinds of people we have met inside and outside the school. Some of these people are known to be classmates and schoolmates, some are teachers who happened to be mentors, some are the other workers associated with the school; and, of course, there comes the internship co-workers and supervisors. These are the people who had lifted us in many ways we do not consider. These are the people who are blessings in disguise.
How I got here is what everyone would like to ask; and maybe, one of the reasons why I should deliver a speech. And to answer that question, I would like to quote a very inspiring note from a movie I have recently seen. It says, “Ever since I can remember, I'd wanted to be clever. Some people are born clever, same way some people are born beautiful. I'm not one of those people. I'm going to have to work at it, put in the effort, and if I mess it up, I'll learn from it. Besides, sometimes it's not about knowing the right answer. Sometimes it's about asking the right questions.”
All of us are blessed to have brains. Therefore, all of us are intelligent. I am certain of this because I have learned from Aristotle that “Man is a rational animal” which means that it is only we that have this ability to think. If we do not use this ability, what makes us different from animals like monkeys, tigers and others?
Well, I’m pretty sure we have used the intelligence we were given throughout this college life. We have struggled to pass examinations and be the best towards friendly competitions. My dear friends, I regret to tell you that we have gone through countless endeavors that makes it even harder to part. Was it just yesterday when we argued about homeworks, case studies, projects and thesis? And, was it just yesterday when we despised our groupmates, or maybe one of them, perhaps, for relying too much on a group member for the assurance of having a good outcome? I do believe that it was yesterday when we shared how fastidious or agreeable our internship experiences are. Also, I am certain though, that to most, it was everyday when deadlines aren’t real until we’re staring one in the face.
In behalf of the all graduates, thank you to our teachers who had never ceased to give us challenging homeworks, projects, group activities and, of course, for being a solid foundation whenever we encounter problems; to our parents, thank you for standing by us through thick and thin despite everything; to our classmates and schoolmates, thank you for the laughter and comradeship regardless of the difficulties we have encountered during our stay in this section of our life. And to God, thank you for writing our story and giving us life.
What is the next chapter? What is life after this evening? All of us have plans. What makes us different from each one of us is that some of us have started working on the plans to make it reality, while some are still laying low, plotting each move gently. But, to answer that question, I leave you with a mashup of lines from various books I have read: We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside ourselves already. Remake the world, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. People aren't born good or bad. Maybe they're born with tendencies either way, but it’s the way you live your life that matters. Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there’s nothing to make it last. Enjoy it because it's happening. Think only of the past as its resemblance gives you pleasure.
Thank you and Congratulations!
John Green.
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