There are times when we feel nostalgic when we imagine things. Last time, we had a get-together with my childhood friends, my batch mates. During our endless topics, they reminded me that I was their Class Valedictorian before.

We do not talk about grades, courses, or anything since we avoid sensitive issues. And it is because some of our classmates have already given birth, stopped studying, and working. But they started teasing me about being once a competitive pupil before. I am guilty of that since I had to maintain being on top. It was a promise I made to my Mama and Papa when I was a kid.

And when I got home, I was lying on my bed, and I suddenly felt nostalgic. I took out my photo album and checked a few photos captured during our graduation. I belong to the Batch 2012-2013 Graduates. It feels like I am time-traveling while remembering the good old days as I flip the pages. I saw a picture of my younger self while holding a microphone. I was standing in the middle of a stage.

One of my batch mates told me that I had a great speech back then, and I delivered it so well. It made the teachers, parents, and audiences cry. Since I feel nostalgic, I tried to message one of my teachers back then. According to him, we still had our communication since I was his favorite. I sent a message reminding him that he was the one who helped me with my speech. He made me write it, and then he was the one who polished it.

When our conversation ended, I tried to remember my speech back then. I remembered just a few parts and did my best to re-compose it. Since I am feeling so good at reminiscing the moment, I will share a speech I had nine years ago with you. I may not remember every word I used, but the message will remain in my heart and the people who listened to me that day.

Today is the day for another milestone in the lives of graduating pupils like us. To some of you, it is a day to celebrate and, at the same time, to mourn. We will celebrate because, after six long years, we have already finished our primary education and are now ready to move forward and step higher. And the day is also mournful because we are leaving our dear Alma Mater, who took care of us when we were still innocent young girls and boys.

My classmates and graduates, as we continue to the course of our studies, I hope that we apply the self-discipline, camaraderie, and leadership that we learned from our beloved school. Let us walk through the journey for a brighter future and be part of the development of our society. But before we finally bid goodbye and leave the stage of Laoag Elementary School, we would like to thank the people who turned us into who we are today.

To our beloved parents, words are not enough to express our utmost gratitude to all of you. Thank you for all your sacrifices, love, and hard work for us. We know that you are the happiest and proudest about this milestone among the other people here. We are praying that you will continue to support us and be there for us in this journey of achieving our dreams.

We will be forever grateful to our hard-working teachers for your sacrifices and for leading us the way. You have given us selfless services and significant lessons that we can hold on to as we continue to step forward. We want to apologize for the headaches and know that we understand why you had to reprimand us. Every sermon and wisdom will be worth it as we will take them forever. Thank you for the skills and knowledge that you taught us.

Thank you to our Class Adviser, Ma’am Villarmina Beltran, for taking responsibility. To our coaches, Sir Rommel Paje, Ma’am Nelly Felarca, and Ma’am Delilah Sese, we thank you for leading us to discover our talents and skills. We are thankful to each of you for seeing our potential and developing our abilities. We are ready to face the world with our heads held high because you prepared us for this battle.

To our schoolmates and friends, we may be parting ways after this, but I hope that we will walk on the right path that lies ahead of us. May we all cherish the memories we shared. We may be miles away one day but always chase the impossible dreams.

Thank you for molding us and taking care of us for the last six years at our beloved Laoag Elementary School. We will carry the victories we have with your name. The batch 2013 will mark history and leave a legacy on this home. We, the graduates, will take the name of our beloved school on every journey and wherever we go.

We are sending our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who helped us and supported us. And above all, we thank the Almighty Father for the wisdom, knowledge, and skills He bestowed upon us. We pray that He continuously guides us every step of the way as we follow the path toward achieving our dreams.

To end this, I want to urge my fellow graduates to be with me as we give back to honor and glory to everyone who molded us. Let us prove to them that we can continue to step higher on the ladder of our quest for a more significant and brighter future.

This is Cherry Mae Joy Aquino Fuentes, your Batch 2013 Class Valedictorian. Good luck, and thank you very much.

And that's it. It maybe not be the exact speech I had 9 years ago, but I know that I said the same messages for the people who was there listening to me. Also, one of my batch mates told me that I left a wonderful message to them before I stepped down on the stage. That made me realize that I indeed touched the hearts of everyone with my speech as their Class Valedictorian almost a decade ago.

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Article # : <265>
Category  : <Personal Blogs>
Author    : <charmingcherry08>
Posting Date : <May 29 2022>

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