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Envisioning and loving the idea of being a college student at your dream university. Sadly, my ideal university did not reciprocate my feelings. Why? Four years ago, I failed the entrance exam for my chosen university. I felt ashamed, dejected, miserable, and worthless. The thing I always imagined I was good at was really a wishful belief. Reality slapped me and I was pulled from my dream. I lacked the guts to tell my parents that I had disappointed them, but I had no choice. I lost interest in everything. It's ironic how a simple admissions test or failure may lead to gloomy days. It appeared insignificant to some, yet it left me with a sorrowful heart and mind. Until one day, I finally woke up feeling revitalized and renewed. I convinced myself that failure is quite ordinary and acceptable. To our beloved honorable guest of honor, Senator Manuel Bamba Villar, Jr. To our indefatigable university president, Dr. Ma. Felma Carlos-Tria To our goal-driven board of regents To our dedicated deans, department heads, professors, and staff Proud and delighted parents Fellow Merlion graduates Latin honors awardees Friends and our online viewers Ladies and gentlemen, A blessed and joyous morning/afternoon to all of you. Today marks the last chapter of my journey at Universidad de Manila. In my expedition to become a human resource practitioner, this is the finale I never imagined. This day is something that I never expected. I am still astonished. How did I accomplish this? I feel honored, touched, elated, and just a little anxious to be in front of you all today. Finally, we are celebrating the culmination of all our modest and great efforts. All of our victories, no matter how small or inconsequential they may seem, should be celebrated today. Although they may not be as evident as grades, trophies, and other external indicators of merit, they are nonetheless significant. Whether it’s a fun day or night out with friends, crushes, romantic partner, or a productive performance task in class, a well-organized student council meeting, or a well-spent Sunday with our family. We've achieved success in a million different ways during our time here. We may have accomplished great things in our four years at this institution, but we should also be proud of the things we didn't achieve. The things like trophies, medals, awards, or excellent grades that we didn’t receive since we failed, or the job applications, tinder matches, and our suitor that ghosted us, because while today may be a beautiful shining milestone, a sablay to four years of growth and hard work, it is also a celebration of all that we have yet to accomplish. I desire that we can take this moment to celebrate all of the things that went wrong in order to get us to this place in our lives. Right now, is not a stagnant moment; we will go home and wake up tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year and be forced to do things that are unpleasant, inconvenient, and probably tedious. The failures that we've encountered here will prepare us to take on those next challenges. As previously said, I failed the entrance exam for my desired university. Yet, failing the entrance exam for the institution of my dreams showed me that there are several roads to success. By forging a new path, I discovered my own skills and passions, as well as the realization that aspirations can be obtained outside of one's ideal institution. Furthermore, Universidad de Manila trained me to be tenacious and optimistic in the face of challenges, to keep striving and failing often, to continue trying things that hurt me and pull myself up even when it seems impossible. I'll be transparent, I'm not quite done learning this process. I remain committed to growing resilience and a healthy relationship with failure and mistakes. We've spent the last four years in an atmosphere with a strong emphasis on conventional achievement. I wish to encourage you not only to widen your notion of success beyond the spectacular things, but also to broaden what you believe should be honored. Therefore, on behalf of the class of 2022, I would like to praise and acknowledge the taxpayers and government of Manila, as well as university management and staff, for providing us with the tools, resources, and allowances we require to achieve academically and in the future. You have instilled in us galaxies of greatness and virtue, and we will certainly recall our time at Universidad de Manila. To all of our professors, you are today's remarkable heroes. Thank you for enthusiastically creating a link to discover the true potential of each student. We are grateful that your love, efforts, and sacrifices transcend even the limitations of distance and technology. Of course, college days would not have been as enjoyable without our wonderful classmates. To my HRDM 41 family, the camaraderie we have formed here classmates will last forever. I hope that we will continue to provide support and encouragement for each other in our future endeavors, just as we did during our time at Universidad de Manila. To my fellow merlions of class 2022, I congratulate you on your perseverance, bravery, and commitment in the face of adversity. May the lessons you've learned and the ties you've formed here at our beloved university inspire you to traverse the seas in pursuit of your goals. In addition, let us take this occasion to express our heartfelt thanks to our loving family, particularly our parents, who understand us well. And now, allow me to thank my greatest motivators for everything I do: my mother and father for all the incalculable love, care, time, work, and discipline you two provide for me. My sister Marifel, who never gets tired of supporting our family financially. My relatives, godparents, and my boyfriend Aldrin for the past 10 years. My friends Mika, Michelle, and Ate Marcy. Fellow student leaders from NSTP, College of Business Administration LSC to DSC with a special mention to my mahal Anne Dominique and Sis Remnel. Fellow student volunteers and friends at Lions Club International. My Ate’s and Kuya’s of HRDM, you know who you are. My two cats, my boss and colleagues at Fastel Services, Inc. Thank you for imparting vital ideals in me, always by my side through my wins and catastrophes, and believing in me when I couldn't even believe in myself. Ultimately, let us give adoration and glory to our almighty father for the gift of life and wisdom. We thank you, Lord, for another fruitful and successful school year full of hope, joy, and learning despite our current adversity. To the graduating class of July 2022, always keep in mind that our mistakes, setbacks, and sloppiness deserve to be celebrated just as much as our achievements. Our preceding vulnerabilities represent actual, measurable growth that indicates movement toward our present and future steps. This is Maezy C. De Leon, a proud graduate of Human Resource Development Management. I hope that as we commemorate our imperative milestones today, you feel nothing but proud of the person you've become while attending Universidad de Manila. Warmest congratulations and best wishes!