An excerpt from my commencement speech for STI College Munoz:
Just like your parents, I am also incredibly proud of what you have come to take home today. Yeah, an empty piece of paper called “Diploma.”
That piece of paper is important. But diplomas do fade. Medals get rusty. Certificates get old.
On the other hand, the wonderful memories and experiences and friendships you made here will last long—perhaps long enough that you can take them off the shelves of your mind when you feel lost, afraid, disappointed.
Your achievement today may be forgotten soon before you can even land your first job simply because your achievement is nothing but a recognition of what you have become. It’s never an assurance of what you will become.
The truth is, the world does remember no cum laude, no valedictorian, no best in spelling, no best in writing.
It only remembers those who have made an impact on the lives of the people they serve. Hopefully, you will serve humanity to the best of your ability.
Your future is yours to create. It is yours to design. It is yours to embrace. We had our time. And our time is almost over.
To all parents who are present here today, and this is important, be ready to provide temporary shelter and minimum wage to your children. Their first day of “non-working holidays” starts tomorrow.
Wala yatang maraming available na trabaho so please be a good “employer” to these “highly qualified” job-seekers. Wala silang pwedeng takbuhan kapag na-reject ang application nila. So, please be kind. Who knows after five more years, may trabaho na sila.
Finally, I will tell you one important truth.
Life will not guarantee you of anything. You are not entitled to some automatic success. Some of you may make it. Some of you may not. Some of you may stumble and get up. Some of you may stumble and stay on the ground. Some of you may try one thing and succeed at it. Some of you may try many things and terribly fail at all of them.
But please know that it only happens because life doesn’t have any obligation to guarantee your success. It only gives you one assurance—that you can try to do anything at any time at any place for as long as you can endure.
But if you should move on with your life with kindness, if you keep your faith in God and in yourself, and if you stay in love in what you do best, amazing things will come your way.
Lastly, please don’t take your life so seriously. Please ask me why. Ilang beses ka na bang nagseryoso pero sa huli ikaw ang iniwan at hindi sineryoso?
Remember I told you about the only two things I remembered from our speaker on my own graduation? Hopefully, you won’t forget these words either:
To the graduating class of 2017, congratulations and God bless.
It has been an honor of my life to have been your commencement speaker. Thank you.
