Graduation Speech

“Life is a constant battle for survival. As we grow older, the rules change on daily basis. Our mission is not to escape, but to survive; not to deal with triumph, but to deal with failure; not to run away from fear but to master it. It takes courage to keep on fighting. So if you feel like rules have shifted one step higher, deal it with greater faith and never ever surrender.”—a text I received from a friend of mine last April 3, 6:51 pm.

For the past 16 years of my life, I spent my life staying inside a vast room they call classroom. My life is focused on how I could make my teachers praise me, my parents proud of me and my colleagues acknowledge me. I read a lot of books. I dig the pits of the internet for my research. I suffered extreme haggardness throughout this period only to find out that this is a mere practice...a preparation once I stepped out of this place they call classroom.

BELIEVE AND ACHIEVE-that’s the theme of our graduation. ‘This is not the end, this is just the beginning.’ They say that graduation opens a new phase of our lives. After graduation, we ought to face a life beyond what our teachers taught us about. Life is described by many as abysmal. Something that is filled with lunatic, egotistical, and hypocrite individuals but then we have to keep positive and attain our goals. Don’t give your everything in doing something instead do the right thing. Give up and let go if necessary. There are still a lot of options that await you. All you have to do is to put away what’s blocking your eyes from seeing those. Believe in the reality of your dreams. The secret of fulfilment in life is having your faith shaken but still having it…stronger and deeper.

Learn that life does not simply ends in death. Your life may continue as long as there are people who appreciate you. Without them, even if you still exist in this physical world, you’re as good as dead. It is never wrong to cry and to fall sometimes. You can cry all day but don’t be miserable. You can fall as many times as you go through life but don’t allow these falls to encumber you.

Success is not just about the luxuries you obtained. Success is learning to love who you are and what you have. Failure, on the other hand, is hating yourself.

It’s funny to think that it took me 16 years to realize all of the things that I mentioned here and to be honest, I do not know the things that await me now that I am leaving my student life. Will I be a student of post-graduate studies? Will I be a mentor this time? Will I just be an employee? Or will I be an innovator just like what my professor wants us to be? One thing is for sure, my teachers have taught me enough about math, science and history. My classmates have shared to me memories of happiness and despair. My experiences and others’ experiences have moulded me. I am Jinky and I am a believer and soon to be an achiever.

I believe life is what’s on your mind and for us to survive, we have to conquer things before it conquers us. We have to use our brain for it not to get rotten. Learning something old doesn’t mean being so outdated. As we grow older, our lives create a history and history is never obsolete.