Chapter 39
It's graduation day. Sobrang kabado ako as I make my way up the stage for my speech. Hinanap ko sa audience sina mama, papa, Kuya Fort and Ate Steffie and they all smiled when I found them. Sunod kong hinanap sina Tita Priscilla and PeeWee na nagthumbs-up pa sa akin nang magtagpo ang mga mata namin. And lastly, I looked for Elmo who is seated beside Jack. He smiled and nodded as if telling me that I will be fine. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat.
"To our President, Arch. Victor Galang, our Dean, Engr. Demetrio Quirino, our Chairman, Arch. Elizabeth De Vera, our professors and staffs, co-graduates, family and friends, a pleasant evening to all."
Everyone was silent as I started speaking.
"I couldn't believe that I will be standing in front of everyone and saying this speech because when I entered this school 5 years ago, I knew that I was just an ordinary student. Enrolling in an Engineering and Architecture school is a big leap for me. As you see, my parents are both doctors. And well, my brother is an Engineer. And you might ask, why didn't they take courses related to their parents? Well, it was because we've been hearing and talking medical terms at home that we somehow got sick of it." nagtawanan ang mga tao and I even saw my dad and mom laughing hard. It was a medical joke between our family and I'm glad that people got it. "Architecture has always been my dream. Seeing beautiful structures in and out of the country, and wondering how they were built, somehow made me want to be one of those people behind every building. Behind every historical structures. I want the world to not see me as an ordinary girl anymore but a girl with big dreams and high hopes. And I know that Architecture will give me that kind of recognition. There was this one movie that I watched about these 3 friends and their life in Engineering school. They were considered as the batch's idiots. In the movie, it is said that whenever families have a newborn, if it's a boy then he will study Engineering. And if it's a girl, then she will be taking up Medicine. But as the story flows and as it reaches its ending, you will witness how these people really wanted to be more than what their families have decided. One, wanted to be a photographer. The other, well, he pursued to be an Engineer. And the other one became a rich inventor and Engineer. It doesn't mean that we should be what our parents wanted us to be or we should follow their footsteps, it will always depend on us because it will be our future that we will be molding. And as for me, my mom and dad supported my dreams and I'm very lucky to have them. This may be one of those rarest times that we can tell them how grateful we are for being there every step of the way. Ma, Pa, thank you so much for supporting kuya and I in all the decisions we make. Be it academically or emotionally. We are all lucky to have you as our parents and this achievement of ours is also yours because we wouldn't be standing here without you." pumalakpak ang mga tao at ngumiti ako sa kanila.
"College life is the life closest to the real world. Because in here we get to experience what working men and women do. We apply for on-the-job trainings, we experience being shouted at or scolded at by our professors because of our unsatisfactory works and of course we experience having no sleep but still coming to school because we have a presentation that day. But we wouldn't be determined to finish college if it weren't for them. Their words of wisdom gave us the courage to fight those demons that wanted us to give up. And their life lessons are always the best lessons in our college days. And of course, college wouldn't be complete without our set of friends. The people who were always there for us through thick and thin. I remember just early this year, I met a girl whom no one ever dared talk to. I guess I'm just that friendly because I talked to her. And guess what, she's one of the bestest friends I've ever had. No man is an island especially in this college jungle. As I wrap up my speech, I would like to congratulate everyone for finally reaching the last step of our student lives. This isn't the ending. This is just the start and as we go out of this auditorium and into the outside world, may all of us be successful individuals and let us make everyone here, proud of us. Congratulations batch 2015 and good evening."
