My Non-Valedictorian Speech
Hi, Batch 2013!!!! WOOO! Congratzzz guissseee. We finally made it! Here’s how undergrads see us right now:
Before anything else, I would like to thank Fr. Jettski* for organizing this pre-grad party and giving me the opportunity to speak for the majority who are not graduating with honors. We may not have special awards, but we are all special in our parents’ hearts.
The crowd goes wild for 10 minutes.
To be honest, back in 2009, I hated myself for going to Ateneo instead of UP. UP was my dream school, and the former I didn’t really care about. But you know what? I don’t regret that decision. When I first stepped in the campus, I thought it was beautiful. Throughout the years, I think it became more beautiful with the overwhelming presence of positive feels or GV I get from trees, buildings, staff, faculty, and the students. They may look stressed all the time, but I feel the passion they have for whatever paper or Tetris Battle they are trying to conquer in the Rizal Library.
The crowd goes “awwww” and laughs at picture.
This is like how I always say negative things about people around me, but I still insist that I love everything and everyone. I say such hateful things, but deep inside I feel so guilty for looking at people differently just because they did something that I didn’t agree to. That feeling of guilt then turns to a more appreciation of who the person really is. Sabi nga ni Julia Fordham at Nina, “Love moves in mysterious ways.” I agree. Sometimes even the feeling of hate makes us realize how much we really love.
Speaking of love, I love Ateneo. I used to feel nothing, but I learned to love my school so much that I was able to survive four years in it. With that said, let me share you what I learned in my 4-year stay in this lovely university: Do what you love. Love what you do. And the crowd boos! I know it’s cliche, but cliche’s cliche, and your face is cliche. Just listen to me for a while.
Do what you love. Sometimes you just have to follow your passion in life. Love is a great foundation to success and a lot of professionals can attest to that. When watching UAAP, a lot of people, including myself, always say or tweet “PUSO.” Some athletes get a notch better because of the passion they have for their sport. Sabi nga ni Coach Gorayeb after Game 1 of UAAP WMVT Finals, “La Salle played a good game. I cannot take the credit away from them. Today, they have the bigger heart.” Pero, puso pa rin, Ateneo Lady Eagles. Labyu.
But finding your passion in life is never easy. I know most of my fellow graduates will relate to me when I say this, because we don’t know what to do with our lives after college. You’re lucky if you already know where to go from here, but some of us still have to work their way to it. You will find it if you explore life and be open to possibilities. Maybe the things you don’t find interesting now will be the things that you’ll love later on.
Now you might ask, “What if I love selling meth like Mr. White in Breaking Bad? What if I want to make DoTA my profession?” First of all, Mr. White doesn’t love selling meth. Also, Ateneo taught me that the human being is a social and relational being. Every choice a man makes affects society, therefore, we have to deliberate with the help of intellectual will and reason and make smart choices.*Insert classic pambobola lines here* So unless you’re not a human being, feel free to do so.
To state simply, you can’t always do what you “love.” There are certain obligations, laws, norms, and parental rules that we have to comply with. Some of them might seem unfair and irrational, but some of them will help us live a better life. Which brings me to my second point: Love what you do. This is my motto for requirements. I’ve written so may papers for my 15 units of Theology and 15 units of Philosophy. It always helps to think that I love what I’m doing instead of thinking that it’s just another requirement to pass. Whenever I let the potentiality of loving what I do inside, it becomes actualized and results to better grades and deep fulfillment afterwards. I think a better example would be how I learned to love my course, despite choosing it randomly during application and all the bank and branch manager jokes. I told myself to not give up on Management. I made it because I learned to love it. I wasn’t forced to love it, as it may seem, I opened myself to the idea of really appreciating the concepts and values that my course is designed to give to the students. Now. I’m graduating with this degree and I don’t regret holding on to it.
I’ve made mistakes, learned from them, made more of them, but I never regret anything, because regretting gives off negativity. Instead of regretting, it’s better to say that you actually realize that you can do better. Parang ganito: Kung nakakuha ka ng D sa Accounting, isipin mo na lang 1.00 is the numerical value of D. 1.00 is the highest grade you can get in UP.
Kidding aside…. Important thing is you don’t just stop there. Don’t give up on being a better version of yourself. Pwede ka pang bumawi. Since we can’t turn back time, maybe we can do better at something else, in government, business, media, arts, etc., and prove the world how much we’ve grown from doing what we think is good to doing what is really good. This is another thing I’ve learned from Ateneo. In my PH104 class, Dr. Hermida told us that we have to do the good because it’s good. In my TH151 class, Ms. Lorenzo called this “the spontaneous choice for the good.” Personally, I think this is my ultimate end and my ultimate happiness. But it doesn’t have to happen now. If I force it, it won’t be whole or real. Just like when some of us go to mass and receive communion because we have to. It doesn’t feel how it should feel. But as long as you put your heart to it and realize how wonderful and beautiful your life is it won’t be so much of a problem, but a fulfilling goal.
I will miss you, Ateneo. Thank you for everything you have taught me and for everyone I met along the way. Thank you for teaching me how to love, much, much better than Lil Wayne did, and for all the values I will surely bring as I embark on a new journey. Now, we have to leave you to make room for other people and things to love. You will always have a special place in my heart. I’m not good in saying goodbyes, but here are pictures explaining them feels:
gummygunk
janainaart
blakekathryn
jbbartram-illu
theartofmadeline
jacobvanloon
areudirty
titsay
stormborns
2087
