Graduation is one of those milestones in life that signifies a coming of age.

It marks the end of

one stage of life in which you are a student or a beginner and the beginning of a new one in
which you are a leader, a doer, and an achiever in the larger society. This day is not an end,
rather a beginning for you, students, to soar and dream high, to face new challenges, to become
closer to your dreams, and to become the person you aspire to be. But let me ask all of you, are
you ready to face these challenges?

10 years ago, I was just like each one of you. A student who comes to school every day carrying
their dreams. Happy and excited, yet there's also fear. Fear of what will happen in the future, fear
of not being able to meet people’s expectations, fear of disappointment, fear of new
environment, and friends. I had a happy and satisfying college experience despite all my worries
and what-ifs. I would love to reminisce about that time, especially when I just graduated senior
high school and was a freshie at my chosen university. Entering college is not easy, it is stressful.
Before I graduated in senior high school, the school offered me to take an exam in one of the
four big universities in manila but obviously, my uncle didn’t agree since it was far and it’s just
the same if I study here at Bicol University, so I followed him. My original aim was to pursue
nursing, but things did not work out as I had planned. I was encouraged to study civil
engineering by my uncle. "No, I hate math, I won't make it through this course," But as you can
see, life has many unexpected turns, and you never really know unless you try. I came to the
realization that things you hate right now might be interesting to you in a year or two. Moving
forward, it is difficult to be a student of engineering because of pressure, worry, and
sleeplessness, but there is no going back. I have to prove to myself and other people that I am
capable of accomplishing this and being the person they expect of me. I now understand that we
also need to have fun, make some friends, and learn from them. I've already stopped being able
to socialize and often have fun with friends since I've been so focused on my schoolwork. Keep
in mind that college involves more than just passing examinations. But now is the time to
discover your talents and acquire knowledge and abilities that will be useful in the future. After
graduating college, I assumed life would be much easier. But I was mistaken. Then I
remembered what my uncle had previously told me: getting a job is not simple, and living in the
real world is very different from studying and going to school. And that was the time that I
realized that we must study not for grades, but for life. “Job hunting is not about grades, or the
number of awards received. Yes, it’s a plus, but not an assurance.” Then I went home, hopeless,
questioning my whole existence, where did I go wrong? Am I not enough? Are my efforts still
not enough? But then, if it’s for you, it’s for you. Additionally, every one of you has a window of
opportunity reserved for you. After failing to get employment as a civil engineer, I considered
enrolling in a nursing course because that had previously been my dream career. Guess what? I
earned my degree, passed the exam, and was hired as a nurse. So, I just want to say to everyone
listening right now, don't limit yourself to learning and discovering only certain things, and don't
be afraid to fail. Just follow what your heart wants and always trust God in everything that you
do, and everything will follow.

Usually, life doesn't go according to the plans you make for it. You will all go through highs and
lows, the difficult and the easy, and unfortunately, there may be times when there are just too
many challenges and not enough easy sailing. How you handle both situations will determine
your genuine level of success. As a result, we should not easily give up on our dreams. It's
possible that things didn't go as planned, but it doesn't indicate that we're lost or that the world
will end because we didn't get our way. Only God's plan for us is certain in this uncertain world
we live in.