Balanced Achievers
Manuel Peter Jorge
Valedictory Speech,August 2000
U.P. Film Center, Diliman, Quezon City
Senate President Franklin Drilon, Honorable Chairman, Members of the Board of Regents, UP President Francisco Nemenzo, Chancellor Ma. Cristina D. Padolina, esteemed Professors of the university, fellow graduates, friends, good morning!
How many times have we graduated? If we start counting from nursery, this may be our seventh or eighth graduation exercise. Yet we are all here with a sense of excitement and elation.
We are elated as we reminisce the past years while we were students of the Open University. We recall the anxiety we had as the first modules were handed out. We had to shift gears in order to play the role of the student. We recall the pressure when the demands of an examination compounded the stress of our jobs. We had to learn to manage our time and set our priorities.
We recall the diversity of our class. We learned that diversity was our strength. The wealth of experience contributed during discussions made us appreciate the topics better.
We recall the few sessions we had. We learned that self-study and determination were the keys. We recall the doubts that we had as we asked: Is distance education the appropriated mode of learning for us? Now we answer with a resounding YES.
We say yes because of the opportunities and achievements we had while we were students of the Open University. While we were students, we had the opportunity to pursue our careers. Some were elected to positions of distinction. Some were promoted. These were our professional achievements.
While we were students, we had the opportunity to nurture our families. Some tied the knots. Others were blessed with additional children. These were our personal successes.
Meeting the standards of the University and being in this hall today is a triumph by itself. These were our achievements. We are proud of them.
These individual stories however are not spectacular. We have heard of greater feats. Nor are they unique. You just change a word here and a phrase there and you will end up with the story of any Francis, Paolo, or Anthony in this graduating class. But as a group, we were able to achieve professional advancement and personal growth while attaining academic excellence. We are a group of balanced achievers. This makes us unique.
These achievements when taken collectively are spectacular. I am saying these stories neither for personal nor for group aggrandizement. Rather, I am saying this in order to give credit where it is due. These achievements were facilitated when Chancellor Padolina and her team had a vision and spearheaded the creation of the Open University. These achievements were realized when our professors made a paradigm shift in order to operationalize the Open University. Chancellor Padolina, dear professor, we share with you these achievements. We thank you. You are an integral part of our success.
We also share these achievements with our wives and children, parents, guardians, and loved ones. We value the support you have given us these past years.
We, the graduating class share these achievements with our bosses. We thank you for your confidence and investment in us. You returns are forthcoming.
We share these achievements with our officemates. It is probably your turn to enroll in the Open University.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank people with whom I share my achievements. My best friend and "palangga" Susan. Together we share dreams and together we strive to make these dreams a reality for our children and ourselves. My parents: Daddy and Mommy. They have attended all my graduations. I continue to learn from them as they share their wisdom.
But the task is not complete. In this world where beta was supplanted by the VHS and later refined to VCD and then upgraded to DVD, the challenge to the University is to utilize these emerging technologies without loosing the personal touch of the teacher and the identity of the student. In this world where gigabytes of information can be transmitted with a click of a mouse, the challenge to the University is how to sift through these voluminous information and transform them to relevant knowledge.
In this world where the only constant is change, the challenge to us graduates is how to continuously update ourselves. In this country besieged by complex problems, the challenge to us graduates is how to transform knowledge into relevant practice. My colleagues, let us go forth and be relevant to our community. We are balanced achievers. I am confident that success is with us. Thank you and good day.
