Recognition Speech

Back on April 7, I was given the oppotunity to deliver a message on our recognition day. So, here it is…

The road for us is long and winding. We have passed through slow bottlenecks, difficult U-turns and windy flyovers. We have weathered heat and cold, travelled far and wide and crossed boundaries to places we have never been to.

Life had never been easy for us, and challenges constantly come to interfere. They will constantly try to pepper us and crush us down into our knees. Today, we proved that these problems are never too big for us. We proved who we are, what we do and why we are here.

To all the awardees, you are seated here, and you are one of the chosen few to be in this momentous event. And as I speak, your hearts should be beating joy and your lungs should be inhaling pride, for here you are, in this time, in this place, in this wonderful recognition of all your achievements year-round.

Congratulations, for this symbolizes your efforts – all the wrinkles, the eyebags, the tears, the pimples, the bad hair days, the “no cellphone” or “no computer” days, the student life in summary. What you have done the whole year-round is a great milestone, for seeing me here, standing, in this event, means that you are one of the chosen few that outshine everyone else. As I would like to say, you are all “survivors”, you outwitted, outplayed and outlasted everyone to be here.

As students, we have passed through endless examinations, surprise quizzes, strict deadlines, effortful projects, in-depth recitations and troublesome group works. Indeed, the road had been unfriendly. It had pushed us to our limits. But, guess what, here we are today, ready to receive the little yet meaningful award for our hardships. No more sleepless nights, awardees, for you can now sleep long at night, with your awards held tight.

But remember, our journey is never over, we are only on the first part of the road that we are taking. What’s for us next academic year is still unknown. Going deeper and farther onto the road means we have to be stronger and smarter, for more bumps, turns and curls are on the way. Remember to keep your eyes looking straightforward on the right path. We have bright futures, for we have excelled in our own fields, and let nothing and no one destroy this. We have shown that we are excellent in conduct, academics and sports. May we continue this greatness in the following years.

To our teachers, it had been ten months since we first entered the classrooms you teach, and after that, we had grown into what we are today. We owe you a year full of learning and bonding, and the legacy that you have left on us will remain here on our hearts.

For more than two hundred days, you have been with us, and the times that we shared together were worth looking back to. Of all the things that you have done to us, a big “Thank You” and for all the lapses we committed, a deep “sorry”.

To our parents, today, we will proudly show you the fruit of our efforts. It has been ten months, and we both did our parts this year. You have raised us to be what we are today, and here we are, bringing back the honor to you. What you have done to us is such a great influence on our lives. Having your presence here today is a simple thing we have to give thanks to, for it means that you appreciate all of our efforts.

Seeing dozens of parents by this moment is really heart-warming, for I see smiles, signifying that you are proud of us. I see glowing eyes, showing enthusiasm to go up the stage with their talented children. I see mommies in make-up and daddies in their best shirt, which makes me conclude that you appreciate this special day for your sons or daughters.

As parents, you have always been there on our sides on whatever we endeavor. You may sometimes restrict us on doing what we like, but that made us better persons. We learn to know our limitations, both as your siblings and as students.

You have also been worried the whole year, on our studies, on our safety and on our health. You might apprehend some of having overnight stays with classmates for projects, round-the-clock caffeine sessions for reviews or hundreds upon hundreds of pesos spent. But, mom and dad, those days have ended, for we are about to harvest the fruit of all your worries for us.

We know that we disappoint you sometimes, and we are trying our best to impress you. We know that we cause problems, but as much as possible, we try to bring you joy and not worries. We know that we are sometimes the reason on why you frown or get angry, but all we wanted to do is to make you happy. Today, with all of our hearts as awardees and siblings, we hope that we made you happy this day, that you’ll appreciate our yearlong efforts and that we had made you proud this day.

You have raised us to be proud students, and it is right for you to be proud parents.

To the awardees and their proud parents, congratulations.