Trisha's Graduation (April 1, 2009)

Congratulations to my sister Trisha Mae N. Sanchez for being the Valedictorian!! 😀 Woohoo! 😀

Bongga ang graduation preparation at celebration niya. Hehe. I couldn’t believe we even have video footage (videographers c/o her ninong) from the moment they stepped outside our house until the end of the graduation rites. 🙂

Deemed as the most magastos in terms of preparation, sulit naman. 🙂 Besides, she’s the last one graduating from elementary among us siblings. 🙂 Anyway, dahil valedictorian siya, we celebrate with a great big dinner at Flavors of China in SM Sucat. 🙂 Ang yummy ng food dun and really really affordable! And I love their house tea. Sheesh. I’m getting so addicted to tea these days.

Anyway, I’d like to share with you Trisha’s Valedictory Address:

Rev. Fr. Benjie Redoble, RCJ, Parish Priest of Our Lady Of The Most Holy Rosary Parish; Mo. Gabriella G. Tornatore, CAE, Directress; Sr. Ma. Nimfa A. Dela Cruz, CAE, Administrator; Sr. Ma. Julie O. Delos Reyes, CAE, School Principal; our distinguished guest, Ms. Chona D.L. Cabatay, Dean of College of Radiologic Technology of the University of Perpetual Help Rizal System DALTA; Congregation of the Crucified Sisters Adorers of the Eucharist, members of the school community of Madre Maria Pia Notari School, parents, graduates, teachers and friends; ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

When I was born, I had no heartbeat, no pulse, and no breath. I was pronounced dead. For five minutes, my family was crying and they were begging the doctors and nurses to do anything to save me. For five minutes, the doctors were crowded in the delivery room doing everything they can to save me. It surely is a miracle that I am still breathing up to this day. Maybe God had wanted me to see the beauty and the joys of the world. It was not yet my time. Those were the first things that entered my mind when my mother told me that story.

Six years ago, I was just a puny little child who knew little of the world. I didn’t know how to read very well. I didn’t know how to count to 100 then. When my mom enrolled me here, I was overwhelmed. My insistence and dream to study in Madre Pia was primarily due to the fact that all my 4 siblings studied and graduated in this school. If it isn’t for this school, I may not have learned the values of life and other things such as friendship, honesty, integrity, love for other people, and love for the country. I have learned more than what I have initially expected to learn from this school. And now is the time for me to thank all the people who have made my stay here in Madre Pia memorable and worthy.

First of all, I would like to thank my parents for allowing me to study here. Due to financial problems, I was supposed to enter a public school. But my parents insisted on enrolling me here because they want me to have the best education one could receive. Do your parents also tell you “Wala akong maipapamana sayo kundi ang magandang edukasyon…”? Sending us to a good school is one proof of the love of a mother and a father. My parents have sacrificed a lot of things just so that I and my siblings could study in a prestigious school like Madre Pia. Even my father has two jobs now just so he could finance the needs of our family. My parents even borrowed money to finance our tuition. I love my parents very much. And that is why I want to pay them back for all the hardships they have endured. I would also like to thank my brothers and sisters. All my siblings graduated here in Madre Pia. They are all successful and excelling in their chosen fields. I would like to thank my brothers and sisters, not just because they have helped me in some of my assignments and projects, but because they have also supported me, cheered me up when I was feeling down, and told me things I could not forget for a very long time. Because my family has loved me, I want to pay them back by showing and giving them my unending love. Through the good and bad times my family and I went through, we still stay close together. My parents worked very hard but they never complained when they work. They said that they’re doing everything just to give us a brighter future. Without my family, I may not be standing here in front of you right now. Without them, I may not have graduated with flying colors from this school. I also want to thank my other relatives, especially my Tito Raff. He always helps us in everything. He supports our studies and he never hesitates to help us in any way possible. In fact, he treats us as if we are his own sons and daughters. And so, I thank my family for they have loved me and supported me through all the years. And I thank them for being my biggest inspiration.

My dear friends, classmates, and schoolmates, our parents love us. I know that sometimes we get angry because they reprimand us for our wrongdoings. But we should know that they only want the best for us. In fact, they wanted to give us the best education that we could ever receive… and that is why we are all here. Some of our parents worked overtime. Some worked abroad. Some have two jobs or even more. All these they do just to give us a better future. We should learn to appreciate what our parents have sacrificed for us. They buy us clothes, cell phones, and almost anything we want. And the best that we could do in return is to study hard and get good grades. Because studying hard would give us an advantage in the future. Later, when we enter high school, college, and eventually work, we will see that having a good foundation in our primary years will give us an edge—something that will help us get to the top. So let us give a round of applause to all the parents who are present here… especially to those who went home, from abroad, just so they could witness this once in a lifetime event.

Second, I would like to thank the school, the teachers, the staff, and most especially, the Crucified Sisters Adorers of the Eucharist. I will never forget my Alma Mater, Madre Maria Pia Notari School. In this school, I became more confident with myself, I had higher self- esteem, and I became stronger than ever—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. For three years, Ms. Helen Mapa has been my adviser since Grade 1 until Grade 3. When I was in third grade, Ms. Mapa asked me if I could be the one to read the Second Reading for our First Holy Communion. Of course, I accepted it. During the homily, Fr. Ariel complimented me on my reading. That was where almost everything started. A single compliment raised my self-esteem. And I felt more confident. A few months after that, Ms. Mapa told me that I will be the one to represent the school in the declamation contest in PSAP. Even if I did not win in that Interschool event, I learned how to be more confident and I also learned how to deal with students from other schools. Now, I thank Ms. Helen Mapa because until now, she has helped me in my English. She has also placed her trust in me and she has taught me the values of being a leader and an exemplary student. She has been the one who started to build up my confidence. That is why, Ms. Mapa, thank you very much for all the things you have done to me. Her sister, Ms. Mailyn Mapa, has been my adviser for two years since Grade 4 and Grade 5. She is very great in Math and she has inspired me to do better in Math. For the more advanced topics we study in class, the harder they get. Ms. Politud is my adviser this Grade 6. She is very good in Science and I adore her for her self-discipline and the way she restrains us from being naughty kids. She disciplined us so well that now we know when to be makulit and when to be serious. I also want to thank Mrs. Barrameda for disciplining us and teaching us very well. Ms. Abe has been my CVE teacher since
Grade 5 and I like her for she is very religious and she loves God very much. She has served as one of my inspirations to study about our religion and I pray more often than before because I remember what she has said to me: We should thank God every day because we are still alive up to now. To all the teachers who are part of Madre Pia, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with us and being a good example for us students and we appreciate all the hard works you have done!  And, of course, to the Crucified Sisters Adorers of the Eucharist headed by Mo. Gabriella Tornatore, thank you very much.

For me, leaving MMPNS is like leaving a place that has been a home and a school at the same time for the past six years. It is hard for me to leave Madre Pia because of all the things I have experienced in this school as a growing kid. Surely there are good times, and when I think about them, I usually laugh or smile at the thought of it. Of course in our childhood, we can not avoid the quarrels with classmates and the crushes we have or the people we adore in our classrooms. I was in 1st grade when I received my first love letter in school.  During this school year, this was the first time that a guy had given me something worth remembering and something that I love. To whoever gave me the puppy slippers this March, and to whoever gave me the first love letter that I have received, thank you very much! 

And lastly, I thank God for continuing to bless me and my family. With all that He gave us, I think that I couldn’t ask for more. He has helped me in almost everything I do. I know that He is always beside me and never leaves me. Since I was in Grade 1, I have always dreamt of becoming a valedictorian. I thought of it as an impossible dream since all the students in Madre Maria Pia Notari School are very studious and diligent. Before I was afraid that I might fail in a subject or that I may not be included in the Top 10. But God has proven that dreams do come true. God has helped me achieve my dream. And as an advice to my fellow graduates, we should always dream big and aim high. With hard work and perseverance and with faith in the Lord our God, we can all become successful.

Also, I would like to thank everyone present here for attending and being a part of the most important day for us graduates.

To my fellow students who are here today, I want to tell you that if you want to achieve something, just do your very best, and God will do the rest. If by any chance you don’t succeed, don’t worry because God has a different plan for you and I’m sure it will be better because the Lord doesn’t want us to suffer. If we are suffering now, then we will still rise from our sufferings and in the future, we will have better lives.

And now I have come to the end of my speech. I would like to leave my fellow graduates with a food for thought…

It starts with a dream in your youth
With a little encouragement,
Discipline, and determination
We all have the power
inside each of us to reach our goals
and what we feel is the impossible.
It is all about believing in your capabilities… in our capabilities.
And if we can dream it, we can do it!!!

And with all these things, I want all of you to know that I am truly proud to be a Madre Pian!

Thank you everyone and Congratulations fellow graduates!

Good day to all and God bless!