NON SCHOLAE SED VITAE DISCIMUS –this is the first Latin phrase which I learned from the seminary which is translated as, “Study not for school, but for life”. Taking it as my motto, I seek knowledge and skills not to please the world, but because I love to learn. Whether it takes place in a formal, non-formal or informal setting, my passion is to learn. I love to learn.
In my 43 years of being a student
of various schools, I have had the privilege to meet all kinds of classmates
from different walks of life and from different age levels, from the PhD
program of Aklan State University to the Automotive Servicing NC 1 at Montfort
Technical Institute. Being with them, I have learned:
For every graduating student who
expects to receive a diploma, there is a non-graduate who thinks that a diploma
does not guarantee success.
For every graduating student who
gets an award, a ribbon or medal as a recognition for his campus leadership or
for her intellectual prowess, there is a non-graduate who believes that even
without an academic degree, there can be a better career in life like in the
case of Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs or Bill Gates.
For every graduating student who
reflects on how hard he works from the day of enrolment until the day of
graduation, there is a non-graduate who in his early age works hard to earn a
living.
For every graduating student who does
a throwback of her experiences with her teachers, classmates and friends, there
is a non–graduate who looks forward to get some hands-on experience and work
opportunity due to family responsibilities.
For every graduating student who
invests in education to anticipate a better financial security in the future,
there is a non-graduate who prioritizes his present financial needs at least to
meet the family’s current expenses.
For every graduating student who
hopes to land a better job after graduation, there is a non-graduate who has
given up her chance to go to school just to ensure her siblings receive a better
education.
For one person who celebrates on
his graduation day, there is another person whose body needs rest to prepare for
a hard labor on the next day.
For every graduate who is
thankful for the support she has received from her loved ones, there is an out
of school youth whose sacrifices for the family go unnoticed and unappreciated.
My dear friends in Christ, I have
further learned that each individual’s journey in life is different. Not all
graduates thrive in life. Albeit, a non–graduate can succeed in life by
leveraging his or her practical knowledge and skills.
But who will define success for
us? If success is defined by others for us, we will get tired of meeting their
expectations. Seldom do we realize why do we have to use the judgment we
receive from others to measure our own worth.
Read the Gospel of John 19: 37:
“They shall look at him whom they have pierced”. In the eyes of most people,
Jesus was a complete failure because he was helpless when he died on the cross.
What those people did not know, Jesus did what God willed him to do. He was
obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2: 8 says). His death paves
the way to success in saving us all from the evils of sin. For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
It is better then to learn what success
is from the ways of Jesus. Success is either doing what we love to do or loving
what we can do with the help of God. In both, love matters. What is the point
of success if we do not know how to love? Without love, we can never conquer
the world. Without love, there is no real success. Suffice it to say that
without love, there is no joy in graduating. My dear friends in Christ, let then
this graduation be a mark of our success; But above all, a manifestation that
we have loved until the end and for this we deserve to hear the word –Congratulations!
