“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to

give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

To our distinguished AR Sisters most especially to our beloved school principal Sr.
Luzvimida Escal A.R., dynamic teachers; faculty and staffs; our dear parents; fellow
graduates, honorees and awardees, a pleasant morning/afternoon and welcome to the
Virtual Graduation Ceremony Saint Mary Academy for school year 2020-2021.

Today marks the 89th graduation rites of Saint Mary Academy Batch 2020-2021, and
even though we are still in the battle against a crisis- the Covid-19 pandemic, we were
be able to finish the race and once more, a fresh new batch of finishers will be sent off
its portals on towards the different college schools to start a new chapter of their lives. It
is a bittersweet feeling to leave our Alma Mater.

For most of us, the six years of coming to school early, or beating the familiar sound of
the Central Hymn every start of the period, the resounding voices of students echoing
the hallways, the fun camps, cultural and talent shows, CEW’s, U-day or U-week
celebrations, festival of lights, sports fests, summative tests, periodic exams, card-giving
days, Family Day celebrations, daily classes with our beloved teachers, and even
friendships—all these will come to pass, but the beautiful memories will always remain.

Some of us may find their best experiences in the CPU Elementary as we have slowly
grown into better individuals—more learned, more knowledgeable, more mentally and
emotionally developed and spiritually equipped, with the guidance and painstaking
teachings of our advisers and subject teachers.

Though others may find heartaches in not achieving what they desire —where some
may find some circumstances as unfair or difficult, or there are not so good relationships
within the community—be reminded that the main objective is to not give up on your
dreams, and to not believe that failure is permanent, or that there is a finish line to
success.

I may not have some of what I wished to achieve, yet there are so many other good
things that I have unexpectedly gained. Sometimes, we plan and work on things to
reach a particular goal. It is good if we gain positive results, but sometimes better
opportunities are given to those who have experienced failures because it motivates
them even more not to give up in pursuing their dreams, and it makes them more
appreciative of their achievements. Maybe because they are continually striving and
working hard, but I would like to say more so, because it happens in God’s perfect will
and perfect timing.

So, learn what we can learn, in every lesson, and in every occasion, and in every
experience. Use each learning to make ourselves better in the sight of God. God knows
ultimately what is best for you and me.

So, today marks the culmination of several years of our hard work, of days of studying
hard and learning our lessons, yet, let us not forget that even as we find ourselves in
trying situations, we did enjoy many times and many moments in this school. It has
been and will always be a part of our growing up years.
Today is a day of celebration, a recognition of our achievements and victories, of
commemorating how we labored through and enjoyed our younger years. Through the
help and guidance of our parents, the often-unperceived hard work of our teachers and
the nurturing atmosphere of our Alma Mater, finally, we have reached our initial goal.

May we all find ourselves under the guiding and protecting hands of our Lord, that our
wisdom, knowledge, skills and talents, be used and directed for His ultimate glory. May
the Holy Spirit be in us always, so that we can always approach God in prayer and
expect for His righteous answers.

So in this moment of celebration, where achievements are recognized and honor is

Welcome, to the 89th graduation ceremonies of the CPU- Elementary Department for
the academic year 2017-2018! Congratulations to us all, graduating students. May God
bless us all, and Good Morning!

“A pleasant evening to everyone.

We, members of Batch 2019, have finally succeeded in climbing the ladder of
challenging yet fulfilling journey in the Senior High School. We have made ourselves
proud and triumphant by continuing the legacy, if not adding more to it, of those who
came before us by exerting all of our strengths and abilities to face all of the struggles
that came our way. Pursuing our educational goal is one of the things that will help us to
secure brighter future. We carried big responsibilities on our shoulders that trained us to
be strong and independent young individuals who are ready to take on bigger tasks.
Most importantly, we deemed ourselves ready as we will be moving on towards the next
stage of our academic career – getting a college education. After all, Senior High
School has not only imparted in us knowledge from our lessons, but also made us
realize the importance of values and virtues that we must live by.

Our life in this institution has been made up of valuable experiences and lessons that
prepared us for future challenges and endeavors. We learned the value of friendship,
the importance of treasuring each other, and the beauty of extending our hands toward
our fellow students who need our help and support. Some of us may come from
different academic strands – STEM or from ABM or HUMSS, but that difference did not
hinder us to link our arms and reach our dreams together.
Tonight, we are standing in front of you as one. We are one family who have journeyed
together and jumped over hurdles that life throws at us. We found ourselves in the midst
of it all – learning our lessons, memorizing a lot of concepts, taking our written exams,
accomplishing our performance tasks, and defending our theses – but all of these made
us the stronger that we are today. We made it! The feeling of accomplishing all of these
and finally receiving our diplomas in this momentous occasion have filled all of our
hearts with great joy and contentment. This is the proof of our hard work, dedication and
commitment to excellence.

Upon reflection, it is but fitting to thank the unwavering efforts of our teachers who never
failed to guide us and supplied us with necessary knowledge and skills to be proficient
combined with the strength that we gained from our parents and the wisdom that our
Lord has blessed us with.

Somehow, it feels like we are just starting our first day in Senior High School, but time
flies so fast and here we are now. We are about to take a big leap towards the great
future that awaits us. We will now be leaving the hallowed halls of our dear, Montessori
De Sagrada Familia and we will now be entering a completely new environment as we
become college students. Some of us might be scared or wary as to how we are going
to handle ourselves when we step foot in college. Some of us might be excited since it
is an opportunity for new beginnings. That is why we should all remember that whatever
it is that we may think, we should be confident that we can make it. Our beloved Alma
Mater has nurtured us with the seeds of knowledge and wisdom as we embark new
chapter of our lives. We are prepared and more than ready to succeed in our future
endeavors.

New chances, a lot of opportunities and endless possibilities. These are all the beautiful
things that await us as we turn the page and delve into the new chapter of our life. Like
the song that we sang today suggests, we are the writers of our own stories. We are the
ones who are going to dictate our future and we can only do that by accepting what was
in store for us. Let’s not be afraid to grab the opportunities knocking at our doors. Let’s
not waver to give our best when taking on challenges that life brings us. Let’s live our
life with our arms wide open, embracing the light of the wonders of this new beginning.

What the future holds may be fraught with misfortunes and adversities, but there is no
reason to be afraid. We should draw motivation from our loved ones and inspiration
from God’s timeless counsels. My fellow graduates, I only have two things that I want
you all to remember. Soar high and savor the sweetness of our success. As we move
on, we will not just soar high but soar higher towards the greater heights of our dreams,
our wings spread out achieving our goals with flying colors. This is the start of our story.
This is the time to grab that pen of opportunities and write the book of our life.

Congratulations to all of you. Godspeed for a new beginning.”

-Maria Alanis Tenorio

Sagradan SHS Graduate Batch 2019

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