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Last March, I was asked to give an inspirational message to the high school honor students of my alma mater of 12 years (kindergarten to high school), St. Paul University Dumaguete, during their Recognition Day. I was honored by the request, and going back was such a homecoming. It was surprisingly also a very humbling experience.


St. Paul University Dumaguete - High School Department
Recognition Day
Theme: "The Paulinian Achievers: Exalting Paulinian Spirituality and Academic Excellence"

Sr. Nintha Lucilla Baldado, spc., university president, Sr. Myrna Castante, spc., High School Principal, teachers, parents, awardees, students, ladies and gentlemen, good morning!

It's been eleven years since I last roamed the halls of St. Paul University Dumaguete as a student. And just like the cliché they always say about high school being some of the best years of your life, I can now say that yes, they're not mistaken.

I have very vivid memories of my 12-year stay at St. Paul from kindergarten to high school, but my memories of high school always shine the brightest.

I remember being an officer of the High School Students Coordinating Council, being a lyrist in the band, being in the fire brigade, being a COCS and undergoing extreme circumstances just to become a CAT officer, and being like you, one of the awardees during recognition day programs. Life was easy then. Of course, as a student, I had my allowance, and the only other thing to worry about aside from studies, were... crushes, perhaps. Now, more than a decade later, I would like to think I’ve learned a few lessons along the way.

I will admit to you, that all throughout my years as a student, I was vigorously encouraged by my parents to excel in my studies. During those times, there were instances when I couldn’t understand what the big deal was all about, and why I couldn't just relax and be like the other students out there, whose parents were happy with a grade that was above 80. Why did mine always have to be above 90 for them to be happy? It was not too long ago when I finally understood.

My dear awardees, while it is true that our parents get pride and satisfaction from our academic achievements, they push us not because they want to be able to brag to their friends about how smart their child is or how great of a parent they are, but because they want us to be successful in life.

It’s not going to be them, but YOU, after all, who will reap the benefits of having good grades, YOU who will become the manager of a major corporation, YOU who will be hailed for having graduated cum laude, and YOU who will have that wonderful job in the future. No parent wants to see their children fail so they try to mold us into becoming the best we can be, and we owe all our successes to them. I hope all of you have already realized this.

Today, as we recognize the importance of academic excellence, we also have to remember, that getting awarded for your good grades is not the only important thing in student life.

Thomas Macaulay, a British poet, historian and politician once said, “The measure of a man’s real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.” If the teacher went outside the classroom while you were taking an exam, would you sneak a peek at your notes? Would you look at your seatmate’s paper? I hope not, because where is the dignity in good grades when they were not honorably achieved?

In everything we do, in or outside the classroom, and whether anyone sees or not, we have to remember that we are Christ-centered Paulinians, imbued with moral and spiritual values, who must always strive for truth and justice. This is veritas in the school’s motto, and this is something that should always be with us even after we leave the halls of St. Paul.

Dear awardees, you have achieved a great honor today, and I congratulate you. But do not rest on your laurels, because this is only the beginning. You are young, and you have so much ahead of you. Do not be afraid to follow your dreams. Keep in mind what Walt Disney once said: “All our dreams can come true—if we have the courage to pursue them.”

You might think that you are only students who cannot yet do much, but this untrue. High school is a very important stage in your life. This is when you must decide what you want to be—what kind of contribution you want to make to the world. So ask yourself this and make the decision. Your impact does not need to be elaborate. It only needs to be from the heart.

Today, before I conclude, I have two requests for you. The first one is fun and easy; the second, extremely important.

First, make a bucket list tonight or when you find the time. For those of you who have seen the movie “The Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, you will know what this is. A bucket list is basically a list of all the goals you want to achieve, dreams you want to fulfill and life experiences you desire to experience before you die. In the movie, Nicholson and Freeman are two terminally ill men who go on a road trip with a list of things to do before they “kicked the bucket.”

Now you might ask, why would you want to do something so morbid?

It isn’t morbid. The objective of creating a bucket list isn’t to instill some kind of a race against time or to create aversion towards death. The whole point of a bucket list is to maximize every moment of our existence and live our lives to the fullest. It’s a reminder of all the things we want to achieve in our time here, so that instead of pandering our time in pointless activities, we are directing it fully towards what really matters to us.

Your bucket list might include extremely adventurous ambitions like bungee-jumping, or something completely normal, like graduating college. But trust me; writing down your goals will put your life into perspective. It’s such a simple yet life-changing activity.

My other request is the most important thing we have to do in our lives: to always keep our faith in God. You will find, dear awardees, that life is bittersweet—full of challenges—and without God we are nothing.

Jesus himself as the Divine Mercy said to St. Faustina: “Know that of yourself you can do nothing. Without special help from Me you are not even capable of accepting My graces.” So let us always hold on to Him, in order to have the full and meaningful life we all desire.

Thank you very much and good morning.