“Be Courageous, Do Not Be Afraid”

This was my high school valedictorian speech. I recently found this file and thought it was funny to see how much I used to use fiction/pop culture references in my writing and in viewing life. (I still do.)

Context: My high school does/did not have a system of valedictorians, and so conducted a writing competition among a select number of students to give the commencement valedictory speech. After being nominated with a select few of the outstanding students of our batch, I was chosen to give the final speech at our graduation. Our high school was a Catholic highschool, which is why you’ll see me referencing a “consecration” — a quote our school used as a mantra each year. I was referencing ours for that last year. In terms of format, there may be some changes in punctuation that aided my way of speaking in the ceremony, like multiple commas. I decided to keep it this way.

Funny story: I had a lot of writer’s block before this. What helped: taking a break from the keyboard and going out for a run. Somewhow the run processed it. I wrote this while going through an airport, and submitted it right before boarding a flight.

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…[announcing different guests of honor] Welcome to the high school graduation of Saint Pedro Poveda College. Your presence means a lot to us.

My fellow graduates, it has been fourteen years since we were first welcomed to Poveda. Today marks a day of immense accomplishment for us- a milestone of milestones, but sadly, the end of our journey here.

Before I begin reminiscing all our events that transpired in the hallowed halls of Saint Pedro Poveda College, I would like to share a fun fact: I am a geek. This is to say that I am an enthusiast of worlds beyond my own, those of which I believe are truly real. It must have started from when my mom read me Knapp’s “Love You Forever” every night and took me to see Christine Daaé sing at the Opera Garnier, or when my aunt brought me my first Hogwarts letter, then into the wardrobe that took me to Narnia; when my dad initiated me into impossible missions with Ethan Hunt, or when I just discovered food videos and science fiction for the first time.

From these worlds I have come to understand a philosophy; a mantra to live by. These are the words of the president of the Teresian Association, Maite Uribe, and happen to be the consecration of our last year here.

“Be courageous, do not be afraid. The spirit of the Lord is fortitude and love.”

This I believe deeply resonates with our batch, because we have instilled it in our hearts in the time we spent in Poveda. We, like the characters of the different worlds I have encountered, have journeyed through the impossible.

Together, we fought pesky villains, conquered our own battles, and learned how to fly our own brooms- we have created our own story with a theme of courage in the face of adversity ,,, with the grace of God. It is an honor for me to tell that story today.

Not to say that our story was like every other story where you can follow a basic plot line ,,, It was not that simple. However, like every story, we had a beginning.

Our story begins in kinder. I remember the first time I entered the gates of Saint Pedro Poveda College. The sun’s rays shone brightly on what was known as the “Kinder Gate.” I strode alongside equally nervous, yet eager little kids who wore clothes that looked like flowers budding in a garden. Like all underdeveloped characters in a story, we were still somewhat untouched- raw- and protected from the horrors of IW. All we wanted were friends. However, as tiny humans, we were afraid.

“Be courageous, do not be afraid, the spirit of the Lord is fortitude and love.”

This wasn’t our consecration back then. We probably didn’t have one yet, and we probably didn’t even know what courageous or fortitude meant. Well, whether we had one or not, the message being sent to me was still clear. God’s grace said ,,, to just go up to someone, and become their friend. I remember my parents telling me that in order to make friends, I just had to be “friendly”. All I had to do was go up to them and ask, “Can you be my friend?” And so I did.

We all made friends. We made them by asking anyone we bumped into, if they would want to eat with us. We split Twin Pops with them, we jumped in tires playing Shark-Shark with them, we cooked fake food with them- and if their class numbers were near ours, we had with them what our teachers back then called “Special Time”. With these first friends we made our first Povedan memories, and learned things that happen to now be imbued in our being- such as the usage of the alphabet, the Lupang Hinirang​, the Panunumpa sa Watawa​t, and while we didn’t know it yet, the Povedan Core Values. It was also at this point in time where Mang Baguio started memorizing our names.

This was how our lives started in Poveda. A beautiful exposition, if you ask me.

The next chapter of our lives started in another building. From budding flowers, we all morphed into Goldilocks. With our tiny pigtails and Sanrio sling bags, we set off in another journey. This time, it was getting to know Poveda. It was considerably challenging because we were in a world we haven’t met yet, but in order to get through it, we had to be courageous, and not be afraid.

We learned creativity (and severe cramming skills) in IW, how to reap the seeds we sow in the LEAP center; we developed camaraderie through Malay Kapwa and our trading of little aroma beads otherwise known as kisses, we attained various skills in the diverse set of clubs; we also learned how to be competitive in Math Princess games, how to work as a team in Best Table, and how to value cleanliness by fighting for the title of the Cleanest Classroom. /// (As a side note, in first grade, 1B always won, and I have held a grudge with that ever since.)

We had our first communion, our confirmation, and participated in masses; we started playing more hard-core games than Pepsi Seven Up, and soon enough we were bursting with a ton of food erasers. /// These small activities, aside from our classes, activated the Povedan culture in us- something I consider has accompanied us across all our battles. If anything, grade school would have had to be the stage where we underwent a lot of character development. Like Natasha Romanov or Luke Skywalker in training, we were being equipped with knowledge and abilities that would soon prove their use to us.

It wasn’t long before we graduated from grade school. Junior high commenced and the setting changed significantly. We moved buildings and converted our clothes. These pocketless uniforms and a new “no sling bag” rule taught us how to decrease what we brought to school. It was at this point where we had started becoming more mature.

“Be courageous, do not be afraid. The spirit of the Lord is fortitude and love.”

We learned this as we fought through our trials, and realized that breaks were no longer used to simply play, talk, eat Jimini Pizzas and Milo Floats, or practice skits. They were for more serious matters. Reviewers were always seen in our hands, and meetings transpired more frequently. IW became more challenging to cram, sleep became more scarce, and extracurricular activities became more difficult to balance.

In this slovenly mania, our story got more exciting​.

Perhaps it was because, with our soirées, elements of romance entered some of our lives in junior high. I wouldn’t know- but I believe that life got more exciting because perchance ,,, it was when we started to learn more about ourselves. Some of us found a sport or a hobby we chose to love and dedicate ourselves to. Some of us discovered our true group of friends; the barkada whom we would be with for the rest of our Povedan story.

Either way, by this time, we had already faced many adversities, especially in our lab exams, Sabayan Pagbigkas​, and cheer dances. With these experiences, we had assimilated disparate lessons, whether they were from a simple Physics class with Sir Melby, or a geometry class with Ms. Gene. We had begun to apprehend gravity as something that may be fought, and the reality of making the most out of the space in a circle.

Yes, it was merely junior high, but we had already experienced a lot of contretemps, with others and with ourselves; we were Bilbo Baggins learning from Gandalf in his great adventure.

Two years later, and a drastic shift had been placed upon us. It had finally become senior high.

I do not want to call senior high our batch’s climax,

because I consider our batch as the climax ​itself​.

However, senior high was what seemed would be our last and most fearful chapter. It was neoteric to Poveda, and it appeared to at first move at a glacial pace- but it did not. It all happened very velociously.

This was when our consecration really came to life, and we heard it constantly. “Be courageous, do not be afraid. The spirit of the Lord is fortitude and love.” ///

Senior high was the most difficult year yet. It was a great challenge- Indiana Jones’ most vigorous expedition, Ethan Hunt’s most demanding mission, and Mark Watney’s most vulnerable state on Mars.

Our close-knit batch dispersed into different sections, each tailored to what we thought fit us best. Spending two years with a specific group of people inclined to almost the same thing brought us to ascertain a family we did not think we would have. It was if we were placed in a house in Hogwarts. With this group of people, we pursued a varied set of endeavors, worked sleepless nights, and made inside jokes.

Even though we were separated, we did not divide. Granted, we had some disputes- but when we had to plan for prom, we produced a fantastic one (despite the stressful quest of finding a date), and we danced endlessly. We supported each other as we studied very recess and lunch together for the college entrance exams, and as we took them. We went through our vigilancia shifts, and finished our Talaban papers. We learned distinct things in our electives. We powered through our last intramurals with extreme spirit as we hurrah-ed our rap-themed cheers. We created our own game world as we cultivated our best works and performances for our culminating activity. ///

It was this year ,,, senior year ,,, where we experienced many of our lasts.

Our last time eating Tito Gabby’s fried chicken ,,, our last time hearing Mang Baguio call our names ,,, our last time having Mang Ado tell us we had a picture to claim in the covered walk ;;; our last time going from Madrid to Guadix to call a teacher ,,, and our last time going to Robinsons Galleria right after class.

Indeed, we did well. We’re a good team. The Guardians of the Galaxy have nothin’ on us.

I would also like to acknowledge that the characters of any great story would not be anywhere without the incredible people who would help them along the way.

Harry Potter would not have gotten anywhere if Dumbledore did not send him Fawkes, the Phoenix in the Chamber of Secrets. Jedis would not have been the same if a master like Yoda didn’t train them.

We would not be where we are today if it weren’t for the guidance of our teachers, parents, and of course ,,, God. I believe that we should give them a much deserved applause. Why don’t we give them a hand?

///

My fellow batchmates,

We have gone through more together than we realize. We did not only make a story. No​, we achieved something far greater. /// We created our own world.

In this world, we have proven the possibility of a place technology cannot begin to understand; where music plays without the orchestra, and where magic exists outside wands.

Now, we are about to enter another world- a cliché, I know- the real world. No, it is not outside the Matrix. This world is where we won’t see each other anymore. Not to say that this means we will not be with each other. You cannot separate us with all those years of moving mountains and fighting dragons together.

///

Remember this moment. /// Remember it like it is the best scene of a film, or the most inspiring quote of a book. This is merely the end of our story here in Poveda. We are yet to create more of our own.

It is time to take what we learned in our time here- the ability to make responsible decisions, the penchant for learning from what we witness, the loving dedication we bring to our commitments, our way of finding joy in every situation, balancing the various aspects of our lives, maintaining order, keeping things simple, bringing our best to everything, placing love on everything we do, and most of all, our devotion and priority to God- our ten Povedan core values, and bring them to the universe. If anything ever tries to fight us back, always remember:

“Be courageous.

Do not be afraid.

The Spirit of the Lord is

Fortitude, and love.”

Thank you.