RAIZAH’S SPEEECH

To our respected guest speaker Mr. Jeman A. Rodriguez, to our very supportive
Brgy. Captain honorable Syvel S. Sincioco, to our esteemed School Principal Mr.
Conrado G. Prudente, to our hardworking and equally supportive Public Schools District
Supervisor, Ma’am Melinda Camacho, to our beloved teachers, distinguished guests,
parents and to you my fellow graduates, a blessed and pleasant morning to each and
every one of us.
It is truly a great honor for me to stand here today to speak in behalf of my fellow
graduates. I feel nervous but at the same time happy because I did not expect this
would happen. To tell you the truth, there were countless instances in my life when I
thought that this day would never happen. But whenever I felt that feeling, memories
just kept flashing back one at a time. I can still clearly recall how this wise man inspired
me to work hard for my dreams. It was in school one day, after the flag ceremony, there
he was, this wise man, standing in front of us, giving some advice. This wise man was
discussing rules regarding keeping our School clean.This wise man said, “Kapag bumili
ka ng pagkain kay tiya Anne at kay lola Minday, huwag mo ng dalhin ang pinagkainan
mo sa loob ng school”. He basically shared a simple analogy on how we can help
keeping our School clean. But there is that another thing he told us that really left a
mark in my memory. These were lines from the poem written by the poet William Ernest
Henley. According to the poem, “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my
soul”. Pondering on the wisdom embedded in this piece of poetry, I realized that it is
indeed true, that I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul. And this wisdom
I gained from this wise man has suddenly become my weapon. Thank you Sir Conrad
for inspiring me, for letting me hope for more, and for teaching me how to think
positively in order to gain better results.

My fellow graduates, we all have experienced a School Year way different than
what we were used to. The pandemic has brought us various struggles in our lives as
students and these challenges have tested our patience and our endurance. Suddenly,
things became so different. And now we have to study on our own, most of the time.
Though we had our own different experiences learning at home, some things for sure
are true to us all. Who would have thought na pwede din palang modules muna bago
ligo, modules habang kumakain, modules habang nag e-fb and there were these
special nights na modules muna talaga dahil deadline na bukas.
Indeed, Modular distance learning is never easy, based on my experience at
least. And so I just grabbed my phone and do TikTok, visit YouTube and play ML after
having studied and learned brain-crackling topics assigned for the week in times when I
feel a need to rest. And no matter how much we want to have someone to help us, it is
only ourselves that we have most of the time. But every time I recall the wisdom I once
heard, I suddenly realize that every day is a perfect opportunity to be the master of
myself. Suddenly, I now see that every day is a perfect opportunity to be the captain of
my soul. And so now that I am the master of my fate, I see no difficulties that I can’t
handle. And so now that I am the captain of my soul, I emerge resilient and overcoming.
We all never thought that this day would come where traditional face to face
lessons suddenly became virtual ones, where our homes quickly became our
classrooms, where our parents once again became our teachers. And I am more than
proud to say that I,WE have survived the obstacles of Modular distance learning..
And now that we can call ourselves victors, this momentous day of our
graduation is the prize of our hard work that we must be forever proud of. It has been a
long four years, but here we are, proud graduates. We worked hard to be where we are
right now, but we didn’t do it by ourselves alone. We owe everything we had to those
people who guide and support us. “Ika nga, the roots of education is bitter, but the fruit it
bears is very sweet.”
To our parents, thank you for supporting us in countless ways. You dragged us
out of bed each and every morning; made sure we were fed and clothed for school;
helped us with our homework; paid our class fees; came to school to support us; taught
us how to work things out for ourselves and even listened to our complaints or gossips.
Thank you for giving us everything we need. You prepared us for the future. These are
just some out of the thousands of ways you’ve supported us on our journey. And now I
would love to thank this special moment to thank my Nanay and Tatay for your
unconditional and untiring love for me. Thank you Nanay at Tatay!

My fellow graduates, let me also recognize our dear teachers. Our Dear
teachers, what we are today is because of you. The knowledge that you imparted to us
is one of the most valuable things that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. The
knowledge that you imparted us will be our weapon for the much more challenging life
ahead of us. Our dear teachers, you occupy a very special place to our hearts.
Insert your message to your Alma Mater (CNHS) here!!
To my fellow graduates and friends, this is a day of celebration. Let us make this
farewell the best farewell in the history of our school. Just let your tears shed or wear
your biggest smiles, as we bid farewell to our high school life. Let us always relish this
moment for the rest of our lives.

Lastly, let us thank our Almighty God, for without His blessings and guidance,
everything would be impossible. I pray that He would guide us all as we head on to our
personal endeavors in the future.
Fellow graduates, once again, my sincerest and proudest congratulations to you
all!