Valedictory Address

SSJ Sisters, faculty and staff, fellow graduates, parents, Mrs. FeAujero, Dr. Rosario J. De Guzman, and guests, a happy Easter Monday to all of you!

I had once read that the greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say what you cannot do. This school year had been crucial for me. I had to start from scratch. I was somehow a nobody. I was confronted with criticisms but I remained strong for I knew that I was taking the right path. There were times that I just wanted to give up but thanks to the people who motivated me and encouraged me to move on.

I thank God, the source of all that is good, for the blessings He has showered on me and my family. All the way, He was my source of strength when I felt helpless. To my family, especially to my mom and dad, thank you for your love, encouragement and abiding patience. I am grateful that you are my parents! I may not be expressive but I have always been proud and happy with the two of you for working so hard to send the five of us in institutions that mold us and help us, to someday, become successful in life. My special thanks to my uncles, aunts, and cousins who are very supportive of me and of course to my beloved grandparents who serve as my inspiration. They may not be here but I know that they are all happy for me.

To my mentors and the SSJ Sisters that I have met since my grade school days in STA, thank you for all the learnings that have nourished our young minds and for the values you have inculcated in us. To the maintenance staff, thank you for your honest service and availability for any Theresian who would need assistance. My decade in STA had been fruitful and worthwhile.

Mrs. Quijano, Mrs. Bantigue, Mrs. Catipay, Ms. Dela Cruz, Ms. Jalandoni, Sr. Cathy and Sr. Naty, thank you for believing in my capacity to overcome the blocks that I was confronted with. God took my hand and walked me through.

To the Seniors Batch 2007 - 2008, thank you for the many years and worth remembering moments that we shared from difficulties to fun and enjoyment. Thank you for the friendships that we shared though some of us had little time to interact. Rest assured I treasure all of these. All of you will always be a special part of me. Through the years, I will never forget the changes in my life, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and I thank God that I could count on you when things would get too tough. Our dreams will never die, so keep holding on!

Likewise, to the Grade Six graduates, may God the Almighty Father bless us in every endeavor of our lives. As we start another journey in life, may we always look back where we all started and let us always remember the values instilled in us. Let us soar high, the Nazareth way!

I leave you this challenge,

"If you cannot be a highway, be a trail. If you cannot be the sun, be a star. It is not by size that you win or fail; be the best of what you are."

Ad astra per aspera! (To the stars through hardships!)