“Everyone’s been working really hard and a lot of sacrifices have been made to reach this point. We humbly offer this accomplishment to our loved ones as a testament of our determination and passion to embody a responsible, persevering, and diligent learner. The COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed down our pacing in life as we were confined to stay at home, but it fueled our drive to move forward – to push our limits, and to do well, despite the odds. Receiving our well-earned diploma is a testament to our triumph! As future professionals, we are expected of something greater. And now we are working hard not only for the sake of those who are precious to us but also to make a difference in other people’s lives, to become catalysts of the nation’s progress, or to become a savior in this cruel world.”

“Tenacity, persistence, consistency, commitment, and discipline. All of these are valued in the quest for success. But progress isn’t always linear. One day we can be so productive and the next day we are just depleted. And that’s normal. We are not machines or robots. To my fellow graduates, we have not reached the end of the road yet. In fact, the true game of life only starts right now. It’s easy to get burned out and not survive for long enough in the coming storms of our lives if we don’t apply the idea of sustainability. Resilience and adaptability definitely help. Time management and efficiency are also essential. But investing in ourselves and making our health a priority is top-notch. And I’m not just talking about physical health, but also our emotional, mental, social, and spiritual health. Taking care of our health holistically is one of the key things to survive our upcoming journeys. It’s something that we owe to ourselves.”

“I want to take this time also to acknowledge and commend everyone coming from completely different backgrounds and journeys as we reach this same spot. Some of us had no networks and had to start from scratch. Some had their own lucky head starts. Others had to work part-time apart from being a student. A lot had been given privileges. Some are breadwinners. Others are delayed at some point. Several may even have families already. A majority had to face the seemingly impossible task, to thrive in college while being financially unfortunate. Some are recovering from their trauma. Others are still academically challenged which became their greatest nemesis. Some are just crushed by pressure whether it is self-imposed, by their family, or by society. Whatever your background is, I know that you worked hard for all the things you have and I’m proud of everyone’s success right now.”

“I hope that you wake up one day, where you no longer loathe yourself. Where you suddenly stopped punishing yourself for making the slightest of mistakes. You go in front of the mirror and slowly love and accept your own body shape. You are already becoming proud of your own victories even without anyone knowing. You are becoming comfortable with not knowing better. To learn that you don’t have answers to everything. To be brave in making changes in ourselves no matter how subtle or limitless it is. To realize that things may change temporarily or permanently. That things may not always be fair. To accept that there are things we can’t control. To navigate our focus on things we can control. To forgive ourselves for what we have become. To heal. To live with a purpose. To be grateful, which leads to happiness. To remember that we are just humans.”