Speech Given during the 15th Commencement Exercises of Regina Maria Montessori

      Six years ago, my twin sister and I graduated from high school. I can still remember how I felt upon bidding my classmates and teachers farewell. There was sadness, yes... sadness that I wouldn’t train with my swimming and taekwondo teammates again, that I wouldn't sing in any of the Chorale's concerts again... regret upon not graduating with higher grades... remorse for the friendships I didn’t cultivate due to my busy schedule. There was also a good deal of fear... fear of the unknown, fear of entering a place where everybody was a stranger.

            The strongest feeling, however, was that of excitement. A whole new world! A brand new opportunity to start afresh! For we all start college on a level playing field. All freshmen are created equal. This gives one the opportunity to make a new man of himself, regardless of the past.

            I’ll be the first one to admit that I was a far from outstanding student during my elementary and high school days. I was in the honor section in high school, yes, but I studied only as much as was necessary to maintain a certain average, so that I would not be separated from my more conscientious twin sister.

            I entered college not setting out to graduate with top honors. I just wanted to give my best. I knew I’d been given a precious opportunity to take up a course I loved in a school where many try to enter but only a few are admitted... the University of the Philippines. I didn’t want to waste this golden opportunity.

            The years went by very quickly, a big blur of exams, terror professors, early morning classes and coffee breaks outside the library. For the first time in my life, I was exposed to freedom at an unprecedented scale.

            No teachers watching my every move! No dress code, no hair cut rule. No one commenting on absences or tardiness. No one following up projects or book reports. And my parents were so far away.

            There was freedom to go wild, there were several opportunities to cut class, join rallies, boycott lectures, watch rock concerts, go on late night beer drinking sessions... and all on campus!

            But I also realized that with this enormous freedom came great responsibility... that I was no longer a kid in high school, that my choices now would influence my future forever. 

            My world was no longer just the classroom. The university is a microcosm of society, and my schoolmates came from different economic strata, with different religions and different multiple intelligences. I learned to adapt and be more creative instead of being spoon fed. I had to improve my critical thinking skills and distinguish fact from propaganda.

            And so, I studied instead of partying. I had my first drinking session in college, yes, but I did it with my family instead of friends. I attended every single class and never cut a single one, bearing in mind that it was the least I could do for my parents who sacrificed to see me through school, and for the Filipino taxpayers who subsidized the cost of my tuition fees.

            For someone who struggled with grades in grade school, and continued to struggle throughout high school to make the grade so she could be in the same class with her twin sister, I did rather well in college. And if someone like me could graduate with honors and give the valedictory address during the UP Centennial graduation, then SO CAN YOU!

            Let not your past define your future. You may think you know who you are now, but your identity isn’t set in stone. The choices you make in college will make or break you. You can either sink or swim. This is as close to real life, to adulthood, as you’ll get.

            There was a Jesuit priest who became the Chaplain of the UP Chapel back in the 1950’s, who was very much loved for his wisdom and kindness. His name was Father John P. Delaney, and he was a student counsellor who came up with a set of rules to incoming college students. I will share a few of them with you.

1.      Select your courses wisely.

2.      Attend your classes diligently. Always do your homework, and don't forget to review. You'll never know when that terror professor will give a pop quiz.

3.      Study conscientiously and systematically, and HONESTLY. Dishonesty in the business, political and professional world can be traced from dishonesty in classes.

4.      Develop an enthusiastic interest in all your subjects and not just your majors, so you’ll be studying to learn and not just to get a grade.

5.      Elevate your tastes in Art, Music, and Reading. There are a lot of campus events like art shows and concerts, and there is a great wealth of wisdom to be found in the libraries. Take advantage of all that your school has to offer. Besides, they’re usually free of charge.

6.      Choose your companions with great care. Be tactful but get rid of people whose company makes study impossible.

7.      Recreate simply, inexpensively, wholesomely. Instead of playing DOTA or  computer games, why don't you take up a sport, or join an org? You'll benefit more.

8.      Lay off the hard liquor.

9.  Don’t go steady, fall in love or get engaged too early. Save yourself a lot of heartaches. Remember, having a boyfriend or a girlfriend is equivalent to an additional 21 units.

10. Always remember that grades do not reflect everything there is about success or failure. What matters is that you learn to work hard despite discouragement; learn to work honestly despite temptation; learn to put order in your life; learn to live and work with people (even the ones that you dislike); and lastly, learn to stick to your principles while on your own, and in the process, learn to be true to your own self.

            Congratulations, graduates! The rest of your life awaits. Thank you and good day.