All in a medal
I have always aimed for the prize at the end of every school year -that shining gold circle plate worn around the neck. I have always made it a point to keep my focus so by every school year I can have my own medal. It was my pride and honor to have my parents walk by me on the stage and the ceremonial donning of the medal was done. Everyone congratulated me, I felt like I accomplished more than what was expected of me.
While parents, friends, and family members become proud of our own achievements, I realize that at the end of it all is a student waiting to be clothed with more knowledge.
There is more to life than a medal, but it also a sign of hard work, perseverance and excellence. Wearing that medal signifies that you have done your part as a student and that it was way beyond what was required of you. Yet I often tell students who don't have a medal to not fret, it is not the end of their academic career life. Awards don't define you.
I have met a lot of people who didn't excel in school but became the best employee in their workplace. If you ask me, it is passion that takes one to many places. Without passion and the vigor to be the best in all things, everything will have no purpose. That's why I somehow think that the K-to-12 program of the government prepares one to find their forte as early as they finish senior high.
In the program, students are assessed and are given the freedom to choose their own strands which are likened to their own interest. Subjects with lessons related to these are offered so students may explore that there is so much more there is to school, and that they may strengthen their already known skills.
It is every parent's dream to have a child who can finish school with honors but they don't realize that the real competition is how they live their lives. Certificates and medals will lead them nowhere in this university of life. As of now, the world is in dire need of people who have a compassionate heart, dreams for the future, and kindness for others. Only then can we say that we have succeeded if there is meaning to the life we live.
It will be challenging for every student now to keep up with the standards that they have set as they complete their levels. It will be a new world ahead, full of surprises and turns. Medals will be reminders that you have to strive harder and be an example to the next generation.
Consider this as another congratulatory message to all graduates. Good luck and may your true skill and personality lead your way.
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