graduation days

It is now the time of the year when students are anticipating for their graduations; excited to wear the cap and the gown, receive their diplomas, and looking forward for the new challenges after graduation.

Graduation, like Christmas, is an occasion that always gives me a nostalgic feeling (especially the graduation march); happy because I was able to accomplish everything needed to get my diploma, yet sad because I have to leave my comfort zone; excited for the graduation day yet afraid and nervous because the morning after that special day, everything will be different.

I have already been a part of the graduating batch four times, and have worn four graduation gowns and caps, and received four diplomas.

Kindergarten, Batch 1991
It’s been 18 years since my first graduation, and I can no longer remember it perfectly. All I can remember is I received a medal as the top 4 of our batch. As a souvenir of my 1st graduation, I have a close-up picture capturing my “chinita-eye” smile, hahaha; it was taken just beside the then Grade 4-1 room. My mother is the one who made “sabit” the medal to me.

Grade Six, Batch 1997
The graduations in our school are usually held in the morning, but the PTA agreed to do a little experimentation in expense of our batch. Our graduation was scheduled at 1PM. Just imagine, the graduates, parents, and guests are inside the put-up covered area in front of the stage. After the almost three-hour graduation program, we are all like freshly-baked pandesals. Well, I graduated 14th of the graduating class plus a special award of: Maaasahan. We sang “Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan” (our school’s traditional graduation song) and recited the Oath of the Graduates. Our guest speaker was Congressman Ralph Recto (now NEDA Director-General). I graduated for the sake of graduating, so it was not special, people around me expected too much from me and they are soooooooo disappointed. I ended my elementary years with a FLOP!

High School, Batch 2001
Our class performed in an ala flute recital number, hahaha! We sang our graduation song, Journey by Lea Salonga, in the middle of the program (shouldn’t it be done at the end, with matching throwing of the caps?!?); we also sang Hear Our Land by Jamie Rivera, and the JMI Hymn (of course!). I can no longer remember who our speaker was. I received two certificates, one for being an UPCAT Qualifier, and the other one for getting a 91% average in NSAT. Unlike, the previous one, I was happier this time, I have this “I-redeem-myself-and-proven-my-worth” feeling. I was glad that I finished my four years without expectations yet I achieved something on my own parameters. I got the last HURRAH! Hahahahaha!

College, Batch 2005
It was like… FINALLY!!! With all the challenges that I went through, not to mention the ocean of tears that I have shed even before enrolling in college and my vertigo days, I will really say… FINALLY!!! When I entered the PICC grounds, I was really ecstatic, it’s because I can’t see my blockmates (hahaha); but maybe I was not ecstatic but annoyed because I was victimized by those fake (official) photographers!!! But aside from that disaster, I was really delighted to be part of the graduating batch of 2005. I was able to graduate and finish the 4-year course in due time, with no interruptions; that was really a big achievement for me. I am honored to receive a UP diploma, and no matter what happen, nobody can deny the fact that I am a certified UP graduate!!! I (again) got the last HURRAH!!! Hahahaha!

CONGRATULATIONS to all the Batch 2009 graduates, especially to my brother, Macmac, who graduated from high school.

“Graduation is not an end, but only a beginning.”