To our commencement speaker, distinguished guests, our dear principal and assistant principal, school administrators and program heads, beloved teachers, ever-supportive parents, my friends and fellow candidates, ladies and gentlemen, a blessed afternoon, and welcome to the graduation ceremony for the STI College Ortigas-Cainta senior high school class of 2018!
Graduating class of 2018, we have long been anticipating for this momentous celebration to come, others with eagerness, others with excessive uneasiness, and others with a complicated mix of emotions. But whatever we may be feeling right now, we all deserve a heartfelt sense of pride because, yes, we’ve just made it! Imagine, we have just survived the upsurge of the demands and expectations with the two more years of high school. And I say, wow! Amazing!
Our countless hours of back-breaking compliance with curricular requirements have finally borne a cathartic fruit, a moment that we’ve all been waiting and praying for – our graduation day. Given this honor to deliver the welcome address, I feel, and I believe, that I speak on behalf of my classmates and friends whom I affirm, as I always do, that this is just the beginning of a more challenging journey, but with love, encouragement, and solidarity, this journey has already been and will still be less complicated. With the brave young souls before me, I would like to express our sincerest appreciation and gratitude for all who have helped us, in a way or another, in the realization of our purpose and pursuit of aspirations.
To our endeared teachers, we cannot say thank you enough for emboldening and giving us the confidence to dream big. All of your patience all throughout these years has meant the world for all of us. Kudos and salute to all of you!
To our loving parents, please know that without your selfless love and sacrifices, we won’t be where we are today. Congratulations, at maraming salamat po!
As we wear the most beautiful smiles on our faces today, let us all bear in mind as well that our diploma validates our completion of another academic milestone. As time goes by and wherever life will take us, let us remember that an STIer will always be an STIer. Guys, let us be the best that we can be. Let us all continue aiming higher!
Once again, welcome and congratulations to the class of 2018!