Turnaround

 

To our guest speaker, the Honorable Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Trustees; to Dr. Winston Padojinog, our University President, and members of the Management and Operations Committees of the University’s respective Schools; to the college deans and program directors; to members of the UA&P faculty and staff present here today; to all the parents and guests joining us in celebration; and, finally, to my beloved batch mates – good afternoon!

At last, the day I have been eagerly waiting for has arrived.

It is July 4, 2019. I dash across my room, grab my phone, and open Netflix. Stranger Things: Season 3 was finally available for viewing, and I finished watching the entire season within one day. Truly, nothing beats a wonderfully written story. Being the nerd that I am, I took it upon myself to do a little research on the song “The Neverending Story,” which was featured in the season’s finale. Apparently, the song is from a movie of the same name about a boy who, in his effort to escape from the cruelty of his bullies, winds up in a fantastical adventure, full of wonder and magic.

We tend to associate certain life experiences—such as not getting into one’s preferred university, flunking a test for which an all-nighter had to be suffered, or even failing to muster the courage to talk to someone you really, really like—with the following words: bad, painful, cringy, nakakaloka. Although these words are accurate descriptions of what we may have felt at the time, such labels disregard the fact that not all the pain we’ve endured thus far are “bad” in themselves. There is always a silver lining. He who knows all things has a way of drawing out the good of what we may perceive to be bad, of turning things around. For the purpose of this address, I would like to refer to it as the turnaround.

In this room are countless stories: stories of triumph and success, of sorrow and failure, of joy and laughter, of the countless tests of faith in times of struggle and turmoil. My fellow graduates, today, allow me to share with you three stories, my own turnarounds, namely, moving to the Philippines after having lived in China for more than half of my life, choosing UA&P, and choosing to pursue a degree in Entrepreneurial Management.

November 2011. After 13 years of growing up and studying in Beijing, China, my parents made the decision to move back to the Philippines where my siblings and I would finish our formal years of education. It was devastating for me. I was to leave the only home I had ever known; not only that, but my inability to speak fluent Filipino, coupled with my noticeable accent, also added to my ever-growing dread. It is during times like this that we feel as if a bomb has dropped, and we have no idea how we are going to get through the debris, fire, and chaos raging inside of ourselves. It is during times like this that we cannot help but cling to what is familiar, to what is comforting. It is during times like this that we lack the fortitude to accept whatever change comes our way. Little did I know that this was to be the first of many turnarounds. If it were not for the move, I would never have grown in love with the Philippines, my one true home. I never would have experienced the Philippine educational system in its entirety and made life-long friends who played a pivotal role in my assimilation into Filipino culture: from teaching me the difference between ng and nang and that Kathryn Bernardo and Nadine Lustre were not the same person, to teaching me of indigenous superstitions, such as not sleeping with your feet facing an open door, and how to ride an MRT. Most importantly, I would never have discovered, and I quote the wonderful Dr. Al Hiquiana, “the greatest University along Pearl.” Yes, change is terrifying; we know all too well that graduating from college does not always guarantee full-on readiness for the next chapter in our stories. But, we are not alone. We have been nurtured and cared for by a great University. We are blessed with the love, care and support of family, friends, colleagues, and mentors; all who have had a hand in writing our own stories, too. Change is certain, and though we may try to fight back, what we ought to do is embrace it and hope for the best, a turn-around.

February 2015. I discovered the greatest University along Pearl, and I was again faced with a dilemma. At the time, my heart was elsewhere, and I was more than ready to commit. Nonetheless, I was destined for another turn-around. UA&P was not my first choice among the other universities I had applied for and was offered admission into, but, I only realized during my third year at the University that it was definitely the right choice. My fellow graduates, I am sure that many of you can agree with me on this. I vividly remember the first time I had set foot on campus: I had to undergo a panel interview, a requirement all applicants interested in Entrepreneurial Management have to go through. In spite of the fact that I was already planning on confirming my admission into another university the week after, I couldn’t help but feel odd after the interview. Perhaps it was because of how eloquently my panelists described life as a UA&P EM student, or the campus’ ambience and aura—from its architecture to the way people dressed, UA&P exuded nothing but professionalism, excellence, and class. I was captivated by the University’s beauty and splendor, and this enabled me to overcome my initial hesitation in choosing UA&P over all other universities. This is the first step we must take to grow in courage, so that any change that comes our way fails to rattle us; to see the beauty, the good, in whatever situation we find ourselves in.

October 2016. I am in the front seat of my mother’s car, and I am crying. I wail and tell her, “Ma, hindi ko na kaya. Please, let me shift. I’m not happy, I can’t do it.” Obviously, my mere presence on this stage tells you that my little tantrum did not sit well with my mother, and that my ridiculous request was swiftly denied. At last, I present to you the last of my turnarounds. Choosing Entrepreneurial Management over my dream course, Chemistry, was a choice that took a great deal of discernment on my part. I have wanted to give up more times than I would like to admit, but I chose to persevere in spite of the adversities that I encountered. I made this choice because I understood what being an entrepreneur meant and what that title demanded from me. To be an entrepreneur is to take what is ordinary and create something extraordinary.

The banner of the EM program is to build value, in business and in life. But, I firmly believe that this applies to all graduates from all courses present here today. UA&P graduates build value: in business, in life, and in society. How exactly can we build value? The answer is simple — by turning things around using a three-step process. First, embrace change. I feared the change that would come with my moving back to the Philippines, but everything turned around because I drew strength and courage from people I loved and who loved me. Second, to embrace change, adapt to your circumstances by recognizing the beauty, the good in everything and everyone. May you always commit yourselves to recognizing, cultivating, and safeguarding what is beautiful, what is good, what is human, behind the organizations that you will enter hereafter. Lastly, choose to persevere. This is easier said than done; but, the potential good that you can do for, and the potential love that you can give to others will always be a turn-around that is worth the hardship. I hope and pray that you used and will continue to use your numerous talents, skills, and resources, all of which are blessings from Him and Him alone, to better the lives of all those that you have met and will meet.

To conclude my address, I would like to bring you all back to “The Never-Ending Story.” “The answer to our never-ending story”—these words are repeated throughout the song. What exactly is the answer to this, to our never-ending story, to your never-ending story? Your guess is as good as mine. But, I would like to think that you, that we, are the answers to our never-ending story. Our stories began long before our time in UA&P, and we will continue to write them long after. May our stories never end, and may they always live on in the memories of those whose lives we have changed for the better. May our stories be filled with both the good and the bad; the sun will not always shine, but let us never forget that after every rainy day, there is always a turn-around.

I extend my warmest congratulations. Cheers to you, UA&P Batch of 2019!

Thank you, UA&P!

My name is Bianca Lee, and I wish you all a good night ahead!#

 

Graduation Rites 2019. Banner photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash.