Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Commencement Speaker; Dr. Winston Padojinog, our University President; members of the Management Committee, members of the Operations Committee of the different Schools; Unit Heads, Officers of the UA&P Dragon Alumni Association, to the esteemed faculty and staff, to our beloved parents and friends, to my fellow graduates, good afternoon and welcome to the 24th UA&P Graduation Rites!
All of us in this graduating batch have our own stories to tell. Standing here before you, I would like to take the opportunity to tell my own too. When I received my scholarship letter from the university back in 2014, my mom cried because she was so happy. I cried too, not because I was happy, but because I didn’t want to be in UA&P. Most of the people I knew back home in the province said that UA&P was a small university. They said that it was not part of the “Big Four” and that it was ordinary like the others. They said it was a school for rich kids. That’s how my story began. I don’t know how yours started. Perhaps your heart was in a different place too, and this was the last university you wanted to be in. Or rather, perhaps this was the university of your dreams. But no matter how your journey started and no matter how long it took, I know you stayed in UA&P because you have chosen to.
You have chosen to stay in a university they call small. You have memorized its hallways and found comfort in its corners. You have discovered warmth in the familiar faces you see around—the hardworking ates and kuyas who ensure that the school is already up and running every day before you arrive; the friends you’ll keep for life; the passionate professors who mold not only minds, but also hearts. You have chosen to stay in this small university because in it, you found a big heart.
You have chosen to stay even though they say UA&P is not part of the “Big Four,” even though they say it’s ordinary. You have chosen to stay because here, you learned the value of doing ordinary things extraordinarily well—offering up that 3-hour exam, staying up late for that pitch, spending hours in the library to finish that paper. After class, you used to rush because you had to attend varsity practice, or because you had to host an org event, or simply because you wanted to get home in time for dinner with your family. You have chosen to stay because in UA&P, there is always space for the ordinary, but there is no room for mediocrity.
You have chosen to stay even though they say it’s a school only for the rich kids. I know you won’t argue with me. People in the university truly are rich indeed—rich in humanity. Here, you have learned not only how to be the best marketer, economist, engineer, educator or lawyer. You have also learned how to be the best human being that you can be. You have chosen to stay because you have come to believe that UA&P is not like the others. Rather, UA&P is for the others, and living life that way is what makes you rich.
We have chosen to stay in this university for many different reasons and today, we will celebrate that choice. But I also hope we realize that before we chose to be here, the University of Asia and the Pacific had chosen us first. It has been five years since UA&P sent me that scholarship letter that made me cry. It has been five years since I decided to leave my home in Bacolod City to be in this university, and with no trace of regret in my heart, I can say that it has been one of the best decisions that I have made in my life. I hope I can say the same for you, but regardless of the differences in our stories and the detours we took along the way, this journey started and will end the same way for you and me. UA&P opened its doors to welcome us years ago and today, it opens its doors once again to see us on our way.
We, the young freshmen UA&P took a chance on years ago, are now called to blaze our own trails in the real world. For me, it feels like leaving home all over again. However, in the same way that leaving and letting go of my comfort zone has made me the person I am today, I am confident that stepping out of the university and going to where there will be greater challenges to conquer will mold us into the best versions of ourselves. Equipped with all that we have learned from UA&P and with the battle cry of Unitas, let’s give back to the university by living out its legacy in our lives. Let’s strive to make a difference by showing the world our courage and most importantly, our hearts. Hearts that are passionately human. Hearts that have been changed forever by the University of Asia and the Pacific.
My fellow Dragons, congratulations for a job well done! To our dearest parents and teachers, you have been with us in every step of this journey. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making this day a possibility. Madamo gid nga Salamat!
Once again, I welcome you all to the 24th UA&P Graduation Rites. God bless! #
Graduation Rites 2019. Banner photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash.
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