Graduation Speech 2022
To the board of trustees of Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Educational
Foundation, to the management committee chaired by Atty. Cheryl L. Chu, to the
SHS department principal, Mrs. Erlinda A. San Gabriel, to the SHS department
vice principal Mr. Jamed N. Lorica, to the guest speaker, Dr. Jade Bautista
Calleja, to the faculty and staff, parents, and friends, ladies and gentlemen a
pleasant afternoon to all of you. Speaking here today is Brian D. Pangue, this
year’s most outstanding student of the STEM strand and the highest academic
awardee. However, before I formally begin my speech, I would like first for
everyone here to give a big applause to the teachers and school faculty, our
parents, and most especially to us, the graduating batch of 2022. All of us here
today have successfully overcome the numerous challenges of the two grueling
yet unusual academic years. Hence, we are here to celebrate and rejoice in this
huge success.
The academic years 2020-2022 have been particularly challenging for all
of us. The sudden shift in the learning setup caught us at a standstill of countless
doubts, problems, and stresses. This academic dilemma was then even more
amplified with the current pandemic situation, which has driven the educational
sector into this challenge in the first place. I can attest to these challenges, and so
are you here today. That is why I was stunned when told that I have been awarded
as the most outstanding student in the STEM strand and the highest academic
awardee. Although I was aiming for the award, I did not expect that I would be
the one to receive it. I always thought it was such a long shot for me to be even
awarded such distinction considering the plethora of talented students in this
batch. Not to mention the academic challenges ahead of me during that time.
Nevertheless, you have my assurance that I have tried my best to get here, and I
am delighted to receive this award. I am sure that my parents are delighted too.
The journey to get to this instance was not an easy feat. So many
breakdowns over unfinished assignments and activities, self-doubts, and other
academic stresses were the common challenges I faced during those two years of
arduous journey. Of these challenges, self-doubt was the most difficult to
overcome. The unusual learning setup within the past two years brought a lot of
problematic dilemmas to my self-esteem. I was used to the framework of in
person classes that it was difficult for me to transition to an online learning setup.
In a sense, the social isolation caused by the pandemic became a huge hurdle for
me to have a meaningful learning experience. This circumstance gave birth to
self-doubts which were very problematic in concern with the quality of learning
that I receive.
However, one thing that I have learned throughout those experiences is to
never let self-doubt get the better of you. That is to say, self-doubt can sometimes
be very useful. Nonetheless, too much of it can mean the opposite. Speaking from
experience, too much self-doubt blocks the path toward meaningful selfdiscovery. Dwelling too much on it may have dire consequences on our selfesteem. That is why, in times when self-doubt gets the best of us, we should
always remember to try not to compare ourselves to others. We are all unique in
our own way. Try to have faith in our abilities and always believe in our
uniqueness as an individual. This idea is what I always instill into myself, which
I refer to as my prominent mantra in life.
With that in mind, I think that believing in oneself is one of the major
recipes for brewing success. If you don’t have confidence in yourself, it will be
difficult to succeed in anything. Self-belief is the point at which everything begins
and without it, it is difficult to succeed. To do better for yourself, you must believe
in yourself that you can succeed at what you are planning to do and that you are
worthy of that success. Always think positively because negativity kills your
opportunities and creates doubt about your capabilities. Therefore, it is necessary
to believe in yourself to overcome your doubt and reach the success that you want
to have.
As much as anything, two short but fruitful years of studying in this
institution have greatly changed me. Even though there has been a huge change
in the setup of education, it has still pushed me to go beyond things that I did not
perceive I can do. It has also taught me to think independently and yonder outside
of my comfort zone. Finally, it has unlocked my potential as a student, and as an
individual which is very useful in my next journey in life. Truly, this institution
breeds competent individuals, and we, with our togas, are a clear testament to this
fact.
That is to say, the two years of studying in this institution feel like a flash.
This case is partly because of the new learning setup and the academic challenges
brought on by the pandemic. Although that may be the case for us, within those
two years of yearning for knowledge, we still made the most of it. As a matter of
fact, we did not let the current pandemic situation ruin our education and still
continued our strive for knowledge and excellence.
For this circumstance, on behalf of batch “Sinagtala”, allow me to give our
warmest gratitude to the teachers, and to this institution for generously putting
time and effort into making this academic journey bearable and memorable. Even
though our classes were only limited to the screens of our laptops and phones,
that does not stop you from providing your knowledge and expertise so that we
can still have a quality education despite of these trying times. Yes, we know it
was your job to do it, but what you did for us was immeasurable. You bear the
problems of the current academic situation while still providing quality education
for us students. You demanded excellence from us whether or not we wanted to
give it. For these, we are extremely grateful for all of your hard work and
sacrifices.
Not only that, we should also thank our families for supporting us in more
ways than its possible to count. You supported us physically and mentally, even
though you also need support from us. You helped us with our activities, paid
attention to our education, and supported us throughout everything that we take
part in. Most importantly, you guided us to where we are right now. These and
others are just a few of the thousands of ways that you’ve assisted us on this
journey. Truly, your love for us is unfathomable.
To end my speech, here is a reminder for all of us. No matter where we go
or what we do, there are challenges ahead of us. What I am asking from each of
you and myself is to meet those challenges straight on with our head held high
and our heart wide open. It is not enough to simply try to get by in life. That
doesn’t move the world forward. You must try to excel in everything you do;
strive for excellence in every task, large or small. With that in mind, may we be
ready for the next chapter of our lives. Ika-nga “papunta na tayo sa exciting
part”. Thank you and once again congratulations to all of us batch “Sinagtala”.