To the JNM administration, parents, teachers, guests, and to my fellow graduates, a

wonderful morning to you all.

My fellow classmates, some of you, we met since junior high school and elementary and
most of you we met in our arrival two years ago. We made so many happy memories and went
through hurdles together but now the time to leave has come. Everything happened as fast as a
blink of an eye. It seems only yesterday that Trixilie’s first time to speak to Nicole was to ask if
we already ate, or when Eula accidentally and literally slid down the stairs, and when I was
suddenly “hit” by a tricycle while walking after taking our Philosophy exam, ripped my skirt
while playing entrance, and was almost dragged by the tricycle after Christmas party. Bakit
lahat nalang ng sinuggest niyo na sabihin ko, puro kapalpakan ko?

We leave our room filled with our joy, our achievements, our tears and all of our
experience as sisters in heart. And even though some of us may stay closer to home and some
may move slightly further away, I hope we will remember the love we shared at JN Montessori.

No matter where we go or what we do, there are challenges ahead of us whether we

like it or not. We would inevitably have sleepless nights and moments when we would feel that
we are going to give up. But, what I'm asking from each of you, and from myself, is to meet
those challenges straight on with your head held high, heart wide open, and have the courage
to make decisions that would pave the way to your dreams.

We must try to excel in everything we do; strive for excellence in every task, large or
small, but at the same time, we must make sure to make choices when we are fully awake.
Choices that are informed by the heart and not by what others may say, think, or believe.

So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want
seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect, so we never dare to ask the universe
for it. But I say, life is not a race, so strive to where you are passionate about. Because at the
end of the day, you are the one who would wake up every day and climb towards the success of
your careers, so might as well, choose or find the profession that you’ll love doing every day
and where you would find true happiness in. Because yes, you can Google for an answer; you
can Google for a friend. You can Google for a career. But you can’t Google to find what’s in your
heart – the passion that lifts you skyward.

As the Graduating Class of 2017-2018, we need to express our gratitude for the
wonderful opportunities that we were exposed to.

Our thanks must go to all the staff and the management of JN Montessori. As we make a
relatively smooth transition into life beyond school, I am sure that the fine education that we
received will stand us in good stead - time and time again. Thank you, JN Montessori. Thank you
for being a big part of my life. From my pre-elem days up to now, you molded me to become
the person I am today.

Our thanks must also extend to our family. Who have remained committed to our
education, but most importantly, you have remained committed to us. For always supporting
and loving us in uncountable ways and shaping us to become who we are.

Our friends, who make time, pass by quickly with all of the fun that is spent together.
To Almighty God for the guidance and blessings HE showered upon us. And to my classmates,
Sophia, Nicole, Jerouse, Trixilie, Maria, Eula, let us take this opportunity to thank each other
because in whatever ups and downs we went through, we were always there to hold each
other’s hand and not let go. I will miss you all and I wish you the best of luck.
 Today, we stand on the brink of a new chapter in our lives. Let’s take a moment to
reflect on everything that we have achieved. Take a moment to look back and to see and
appreciate just how far we have all come. Today is our opportunity to acknowledge our
accomplishments. But also, today is the time to acknowledge where we are now. We may find
that our senior high school years, were years well spent. We may find that we regret some
moments and made mistakes. But we must acknowledge them, accept them, and then prepare
to move on to tomorrow.

To conclude, I would like to quote what Gabrielle Giffords once said, and I hope you’ll
remember these words: Be bold, be courageous, be your best.

Congratulations to all of us!

Thank you.