It’s weird really, to find this thing among all my files.
The speech that I gave years ago when I was a senior student in high school.
okay. here I go.
I sort of became mad last night when the corniest teacher who walked the face of the planet, in other words, Mr. Tembrevilla asked me to write a sort of goodbye-whatever message to the public. I was about to say no when a thought popped out of my mind. I have to take this opportunity. It’s my chance to be sort of like Ada, who graduated class valedictorian since forever and say a thank-you-and-goodbye speech in front of these gorgeous faces. Okay. Shoot.
Four years have come and passed, and right. We are here at last. It’s been just like a snap of a finger and time suddenly ran so fast that we are here, all set to enter the Quidam which is college, then all of a sudden everyone around is also bidding us goodbye. In other words, ginapalayas niyo na gid kami. But of course, the graduating thing isn’t easy for us to take. After four years of laughter, fun, agony and most of all, friendship, it’s like everything else ended last Saturday, when the chapel flooded with tears when we sang our graduation song. All I am trying to say is that…we seniors have to accept the fact that life is all about moving on and we, in our deepest and sincerest way, we say goodbye and thank you to our friends and teachers, to the staff of this school and everyone else who became witnesses to our growth in this school from our being childish freshmen until we became matured seniors. Wait. Are we sure we are all matured? Man, our high school rocked harder than ever.
It’s nice to go back and reminisce our last four years in high school, but senior year would always be the best since it’s a stage where you have to do everything your best considering it is your last, you have to study hard for a clean record for college, the level with the most number of activities and the most exciting level because of course, everyone respects and salutes you. You are the queen of the road. I mean, of course, your face has layers of chutzpah in it, you couldn’t anymore identify the word SHY. It’s because you are a senior. You guys can’t feel it now but wait ‘till you reach senior year. It will be a lot of fun. I swear.
I can still remember the noise that filled our classrooms during the eighth of June, 2005. It was the day that never came again: First day of school at Assumption-Iloilo where we became official seniors of the school. Students are all around and pulling one friend or two, or went by groups or celebrated all by themselves while others don’t really care what’s happening as long as they’re just there, still existing. Everyone’s asking how the C.A.T officers survived the training and well, some can be heard saying… “Hoy, no spilling ay!” even though I don’t really know what’s up with that when in the long run, everyone was indeed spilling. I can feel the boredom that kills us all during review sessions. Some are even eating [Ooops.], some are turning into Sleeping beauties and I belong there and fortunately, there’s no saliva dripping, some are heard saying “Dali na lang! 45 minutes more!” , some take time to remove their split ends, some are making their pathetic assignments, some are mentally absent coz they travel with their minds, and most are taking review sessions as the time to finally talk about out-of-this-world items. And there are really some who are completely numb about all that I mentioned. In short, they are all those who graduated with honors.
Our CAF and CAE plays were events in our lives where we became matured individuals. Our Immersion and Retreat was one unforgettable experience considering we all slept as MMA, as MME together for two nights away from the smoke of the city and relaxed in the cool breeze of Guimaras. The school actually offered a lot of activities for us which we really cherished and that includes the night when MME became stranded at Dumarao. The senior’s night was…nice…? Whatever. It’s all for you to explain. And so many more events that came in our senior life which we really valued in our hearts and that these memories will be locked in our treasure boxes.
We will surely miss our teachers since First year, or for others, since kindergarten. For sure, there will be no kerny professors in college like Sir Gerald. You are such a different teacher Sir, because your concern and LOVE for our batch is really indescribable. I know there will be no more Ms.Pasaporte-alike who would do everything to help us, from computers to the internet to the yearbook, etc… She’s one person who influenced me and inspired me what to take in college. There would be no Filipino teacher who would hail “Magandang Hapon!” upon entering the classroom which is Ms. Pacheco’s tatak. We will surely miss Mrs. Simpas’s golden voice that thunders the T.H.E room whenever we’re having Home economics. And there would be no more Sir Pedroso who would wake you up when you are sleeping then gets mad at you when you couldn’t grasp the direction and say: LAGYAN MO NG BILOG!!! … Obviously, there would be no hyper Cecile Adrias who would always be hyper and energetic even when the peso rate is already dying. She’s a one of a kind teacher and is so meticulous when it comes to grammar, pronunciation, spelling, etc… We will surely miss her being addicted to Seasons of love and Red Hot Chili Peppers. She feels like killing you if you’ll say the word mango…There would be no teacher like her at all next school year. And of course, there would be no more cool Sr. Elnora in college!! Sometimes I’m thinking she’s not a nun considering she’s super cool she can be a teen. But…accept the fact. We’ll miss this usual dialogue in class. Goodbye and Thank you Sr. Elnora! AGAIN. Goodbye and thank you Sr. Elnora! AGAIN. And so on. And these charming teacher… Trigonometry would never be fun without Mrs. Judy around. We learned a lot from you honestly. You’re the best! We know you’re totally going to miss us. And this very very very unique teacher!! I’m having a hard time choosing your punch line because there are a lot!! Sir Gicaraya, you gave us a lot of background about college especially your beloved university – U.P. Thank you for sharing with us your life and your failures in your education which inspired us also to study hard in our chosen course. We will surely miss the way you would enter the classroom with a beautiful smile on your face. And for sure, we will miss the way you said…1. Excuse me girls… pero sa klase ko wala manicure2x! Kung math-MATH! 2. Kapag may tiaga-may nilaga! 3. Don’t forget to be humble, go back to your roots! 4. Girls! Excuse me listen! I have an announcement! Okay. Girls, wala na ko graphing paper. 5. Girls, you must read at least 15 books, national man ukon international, hala pambukara na para madugangan inyo knowledge.and the way you would say “Okay girls. Ini siya. Wala ni siya labot – WALA LABOT.” And so much more, we really couldn’t take to forget you because you’re the best math teacher of all. Thanks for giving us background on what will come out whether we’re taking nursing, or commerce, or accountancy, med, psychology especially the math-struck engineering, thank you! We will surely bring everything what you said with us for college.
And for the rest of the people who really inspired us as we step out the walls of the Assumption, we gratefully say thank you to you. We’re not this way if it weren’t for you. Thank you for the memories we’ve shared, it will always remain with us. All came from God alone, all must be FOR GOD ALONE. Once an Assumptionista, always an Assumptionista.
