This speech was delivered by a La Sallian engineer in one of the graduation ceremonies at the UP College of Engineering.
Today as we finish, I have with me a Transcript of Record(s). The student that owns this transcript studied at the De La Salle University. At this University, if you are an undergraduate, you have an ID number that starts upward of “94”, if you finish a school year failing 15 units, you get kicked out.
The transcript I hold has 27 units of failure. 12 of these were earned by the student in just one schoolyear. Each subject is usually worth 3 units. Thinking carefully, one more failed subject and the student who owns this transcript could have been kicked out.
This speech wasn’t made to acknowledge the hardship of our parents who sent us to school. I didn’t do this to deliver a political statement either, or to convince you not to leave the country and help it develop. This speech is for the normal students that, like the owner of this transcript, because often, the university really doesn’t care for their achievements. There are awards like “Summa Cum Laude”, “Best Thesis Award” and “Leadership Award.” But not even once did I see the University give a “Hang-on and managed to graduate despite nearly getting kicked-out during his academic stay” award.
It is likely that this concept is bullshit to most. Why would you praise a student that is useless, stupid, lazy or irresponsible? Shouldn’t they be vomited out by the University? These are the types of students that won’t get anywhere in life, right?
There. You got it. That is the reason why.
Often, when a student has a bad mark in school— especially in college— it is really discouraging. Then comes the laziness to study, then you think, “What kind of job will I get? At a call center again or clerical? Why am I so stupid. If only I were smarter, then I would have been in Proctor and Gamble, or any famous company.”
It’s harder for a student that fails. Even if you say that it is their fault for failing, you don’t know what it’s like. It’s easy to say, “you can do it, just study,” but do we really know what we are saying?
When a student fails in University, it’s likely he’ll just laugh it off. Or sometimes he’ll proudly say “THIS IS MY 5TH TAKE!!” or “Dude, I’m taking a PHD in ANMATH3/CALCULUS/etc.” But a Summa Cum Laude doesn’t know what a normal student is thinking as he is about to sleep, knowing that when he wakes he has to repeat a subject he had taken in the previous term.
Never was it a problem for the “star student” to say “Mom, I failed.” And never has the thought occurred to them, “What if I work for a no-name company” because they are sure of their futures.
Let’s not joke around. Grades are everything. No matter how you look at it, companies that get fresh graduates to work for them will never be fair. Sometimes you can get it through sheer charm and power but it’s still the same. If you aren’t academically good, you aren’t going anywhere. If not that, it’ll be harder for you just to get to a prestigious position.
That’s why this graduation, I am dedicating this speech to the students that stumbled, nearly got kicked out and to those that did everything in their power just to finish. I’ll make the world fair for you for just one day. No matter what others say, whether it’s your fault that your marks are ugly or that you were nearly kicked out, I salute your refusal to stop studying. I salute your strength of spirit to continue facing the world even if you know it won’t be fair to you. I salute that though your transcript sucks, you still hold your head high in today’s graduation and that you are proud of yourselves.
What’s going to happen to the graduates after this graduation? I don’t want to talk about what will happen to the Cum Laude. Lame. You already know what will happen to them. But for those that failed, what is there?
It’s like you’ll get a mediocre job. You could also get lucky, you might be able to work at a nice company. A lot of things could happen. Don’t lose hope. If during college, you persevered, why would you give up now?
It can also go this way: Study again. Show them that if you just worked hard, you’ll get far. Try proving to them that when you try, you can get to where they are. You aren’t stupid, you’re just lazy.
You might say I’m just drawing.*
I’ve been on both sides. I’ve experienced failing, and I nearly got kicked out. I’ve experienced repeating one subject 4 times. I’ve experienced being berated by parents, siblings and by whoever professors that don’t care about the feelings of the students. I’ve experienced sleepless nights thinking of how to tell my parents that I failed again. That’s why I know what you feel.
This is my transcript.
When I graduated college, what did I do? Well. Worked a little, studied again. Got a Masters in my course. Not for work or anything, but to prove to myself that those times that I failed, I was just lazy.
This is a rebellion. I raise my middle finger ..!..(>_<) ..!.. to every professor, over-achiever, naysayer and detractor THAT TOLD ME THAT I CAN’T MAKE IT. I raise my middle finger ..!..(>_<) ..!.. to every valedictory or graduation speech that only gratifies the university, those who were achievers in school or those who gratify the country when it’s supposed to be the graduate’s moment of glory. You are supposed to acknowledge EVERYONE. Even those who failed many times.
That’s why to those graduates whose marks aren’t nice, this is for you. If I could do this, you can to. It’s impossible that you can’t.
De La Salle University is the 3rd most prestigious private University in the Philippines, and the University of the Philippines is the national university and is considered the best in the country.
Original Tagalog transcript under the cut.
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