yesss, dream come true! i was ridiculously fidgeting about this on my previous posts right, i'm so thankful it went well appreciated! yehey, thank you Lord!
i don't actually think it's a kickass piece. inspirational speeches tend to be generic, but i did my best in the 6 hours i tried to put this together, see unscensored progress report at my twitter timeline. and FreeMind was a friggin great help. i'll definitely use it every time i need to write. err, which is going to be more usual than ever from now on.
i can feel the load getting heavier. the amount of responsibilities is taking its toll on me. i think i deserve a full day without thinking about my continuously incrementing to-do list. ok, 24 hours seems too much to waste. so Lord, please give me more sleep na lang! or maybe i'll just buy sleepasil. oh drugs.
speech down the cut, untitled cos i'm creative that way:
To everyone who’s here, to the audience, my fellow dean’s listers, faculty, department heads and our executive director, good morning. Although I’m very nervous, it’s a pleasure to be standing here today. This is probably the chance where I get to thank everyone who has helped me gain such achievement, as well as share a little bit of how I came to be here. I remember last year, when it was my first time to attend this recognition program, I was sitting there among you guys, listening to a fellow scholar deliver her privileged speech. Back then, the thought of being where she was excited me. I told myself that one day, I’ll get my share of that stage, I’ll be a full scholar and be recognized for it. And I’m pretty positive that this is that day. A year of dreaming combined with bloody hard work, determination, perseverance, patience, sleepless nights, and gallons of coffee, and it all paid off. It’s now my turn.
I’m here because I worked hard for this, but more importantly, I’m here because I envisioned myself to be where I am today. It all starts with goal-setting. Know what you want, and see yourself getting it. If you think you deserve it, then chances are you have what it takes. I started college as an ordinary (and sometimes delinquent) student wanting nothing else than to end the day, go home, and sleep. School was just a matter of making sure I have at least one smart and grade conscious classmate in a group project. And observing complete attendance is the key to passing a subject. Every day is a matter of survival, and the best strategy for lazy people like me, is to play safe.
But playing safe barely gets you anywhere, sure it gets you somewhere, but there is hardly any fulfillment in it. Being mediocre will cripple your dreams. God knows the plans he has for us, and knowing God, the plan he laid out for each and every one of us is big. If you’re not willing to step out of your comfort zone, you can never see how much rewarding life is, you can never see how much capable you are. The destination is set, but the path is yours to create.
There is so much potential in our dreams that is waiting to be released only if we have the right tools. Education is one. And it’s arguably the most important factor in converting your dreams into reality. Education is knowledge, and knowledge is power. Even with being a student, never settle with being just average. You were made for something bigger. As American columnist Maureen Dowd puts it, “The minute you settle for something less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.”
This is a shout out to all the people who helped me realize that I was made for something great: my parents, my friends, my inspirations, my friendly rivals and of course God. I owe you a lot. This day is just one of the many more landmarks I wish to plot in my map to success.
With this, I wish everyone a good day. Thank you, and God bless.