Take It From Eric Cua
"The sun was extraordinarily brilliant making me instantly aware that this day is beyond special"
Here is an excerpt from my Valedictory speech delivered today. I hope you guys can get something out of this.
"When I woke up this morning, I was completely taken by how bright the day seemed. The sun was extraordinarily brilliant. Everything looked wonderful; making me instantly aware that this day is beyond special. Standing before you now, a great feeling of honor fills my heart. I feel truly privileged to speak in front of such an esteemed audience and be the one to represent the intelligent and brave graduates of this year, batch 2017.
Today marks a new milestone for us, graduates, and I would like to take this moment to acknowledge everyone who made it to this glorious day. Today is for all of us. Today is not only for awardees. More than anything, today is for those who persevered and did not falter. Today is for everyone who failed and stumbled. Today is for those who burned the midnight oil and almost gave up but never lost hope. Let's all put our hands together for that.
The mere fact that we are here today makes us all achievers. It proves our great capacity to overcome the odds. It proves our innate resilience. And I know this because I have lived it. You look at me now and think that I was probably the model student, the one who got all the high marks. But actually, I was a bit of a problem child. Back in primary school, I failed all my subjects. Take note, ALL, which includes Arts and Physical Education. I was a failure.
For some people, it’s easy to deride others failures. It is easy for them to just shrug it off with platitudes as “mag-aral ka na lang ng mabuti,” or “bumawi ka na lang”, “ayos lang yan”. Agree? Let me tell you now, those words do not help much. You do not know the inner struggle of saying “Ma, Pa, bagsak ako”. You do not know the toll it takes just thinking “pasado kaya ako?”, “ano kayang grade ko?” You do not know the torment of working so hard only to be told that you have not worked hard enough.
During these times, we wish we could have someone not to judge us but someone who can lift us, someone…at least one person who still believes that we can make it all up even if we're almost quitting deep inside.
Me myself, I had always been somewhere in between "hindi magaling" and "pwede na" because I felt that no one cared anyway so my performance was just that --- "tama lang". But everything changed when I entered college. Here at PCC, I was made to feel that I could rise above the mediocrity that I have allowed others to box me into. For the first time in a long while, I began to believe I could do better, that I could lift myself higher. PCC helped me to shape myself into the person you see today. Where my parents gave me unconditional support and love, PCC gave me the validation that I can truly become everything I have hoped to be. It is in these hallowed halls that I finally discovered myself--- my talents, my strengths, my capabilities.
In life, it only takes one person who will trust and bring out the best in us to change the whole game. It takes only one person to believe in us that we can triumph to propel us forward. For the one who failed, for the one who stumbled, for the one who almost gave up, find someone who's always there to believe you. They really help.
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To my fellow graduates, let us use the power of education to build a better world for a wonderful life motivated by the love to serve..."
Congratulations to the graduates of batch 2017
Johnson Eric Tan Cua Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Operations Management Magna Cum Laude Special Award for Business Administration Merit Leadership Award Dean's List - 8 semesters (First Honor)
