Valedictory

Address
Jamielyn Mateo Castillo

To the chairman of the board Engr. Ireneo M. Lorenzo, Executive Vice President Mrs. Irene
Lorenzo-Bobis, Vice president for operations Mrs. Iris Lorenzo-Mateo, to our hardworking principal Mr.
Leoncio O. Ignacio, Elementary Department head Mrs. Ailyne DR Reyes, High school Department head
Mrs. Leora P. De Leon, Honorable guest speaker Senator Allan Peter Cayetano, administrators, faculty,
parents, friends, my fellow graduates, a blessed evening to all of us.

Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude. As what my parents always tell me If you are going
to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence should be put on
a display in everything that we do. Excellence is an attitude, an out cold desire to accomplish things
excellently that would make us not meet the expectations but surpass it.
It seemed only yesterday when I first set my foot on Liceo di San Lorenzos grounds. At the
beginning, I feel nervous and afraid of what lies ahead. I am then curious, tense and bewildered child.
But because of the suitable intention, not only mine, but also of my parents, to study, to acquire more
knowledge I was left with no choice. In those four years, many things have happened.
The path towards the realization of our goals has never been an easy one. Sacrifices have to be
made to realize our dreams We had to wake up early to go to school, sleep late at night or not sleep at
all to finish a project; we had to sit down the entire day, listening to the discussion of the teacher, getting
bored, and feeling sleepy. We were also besieged with difficulties and problems along the way which
almost pulled us down. But being able to make it through all these deserves not just recognition but
reward.
At this point, I have varied feelings of delight and sorrow. Delighted for I can see how happy my
fellow graduates are. After the apparently never-ending homework, seatwork, quizzes, complicated
projects and long tests, we managed to continue to exist without any fatalities. Viewing each of my
fellow graduates faces somehow gives me a little flashback of the many different memories with every
one of you. I know we have all shared remarkable memories with each other. How could I ever forget
those times we laughed as if it would be our last, cried on each others shoulders, having
misunderstandings of simple things, falling in love and even argued like a fool but still, I see that the
bonds between us will never break and that this will be something we will always have.

As I look back and reflect on the pieces of my pasts, I can remember the countless times when I
was challenged, when I had stumbled and failed. There will always be flashbacks of instances when I
was neglected, frowned, laughed-at and belittled. There were times when I was prevailed by weakness,
instead of mustering the needed courage, times that I was subdued by frustration and anxiety rather than
acquiring strength. The feeling of joy whenever my hard works were recognized, the feeling of
satisfaction after every end of school year knowing I have survived yet again another year.
Now, I also see eyes slowly tearing up, which makes me feel sad because we must say our
temporary goodbyes. In this tender age of ours, we already knew that life is not the enchanted bed of
roses, it is difficult and it is a series of problems. Certainly, it is one of the greatest truths. My dear batch
mates, we should be reminded of a passage that, The hardest thing to accept is the truth. However,
even how hard it may be, we cannot do otherwise, but accept it, more so, understand it, by doing so, we
can then exceed to realty and nurture it in much clearer and better perspective. We have grown up
together and have come to know each other as siblings. But just like in most families, one way or
another, siblings must say their goodbye eventually.
As the class valedictorian, Im very glad to relate to you how I obtained such a position Im
proud of now. Many things changed in my life as I stay here for four years. I remember the saying We
cannot direct the winds but we can adjust the sails. My fellow graduates, let us all be reminiscent
that what we will be in the future will depend on what we do with our lives today. We may depend on
many other people like our parents and teachers but at the end of the day, the one who would adjust the
sails would be us. Doing bad things may hurt your loved ones but they would haunt you even more.
Likewise, doing great things and knowing that you worked very hard for them makes an achievement
even sweeter because you know those are the fruits of your labor. I feel much fulfilled because I know I
worked hard for this and I always aimed for excellence. Getting here was a bumpy ride but thanks to all
the lessons, the guidance, the knowledge and the joy that everyone shared with me combined with the
values I have learned to develop, I was able to reach where I am now.
Today is the most awaited day for all of us who are fortunate to graduate the high school which
we have struggled for four years, the day we get to see the fruits of our hard works our Graduation
Day. Today, we can claim for ourselves that we have successfully obtained a part of our studies which
will bring us a further achievements that each of us expecting to go across the full struggle of our study.
Its not the end but it marks the beginning of a higher endeavour in life which we believe will bring us to

a higher and difficult stage of our life as a student. However, we could not have done it without the
people who are behind our greatest accomplishments. With an enormous smile in my face, I gladly take
this opportunity to thank all of those people whom I owe so much.
I was in all honesty and foremost thankful to our powerful God for His help and guidance in me
every time and for making of what I am tonight.
To my parents: Mama and Papa, I will offer my heartfelt thanks and gratitude for your undaunted
sacrifices and unwavering patience, for inculcating in me my ambitious spirits. You were always there
for me when I felt like I wanted to give up. You always have a way to put a smile on my face and you
install lessons in my head that continuously develop me into a fine young lady. Thank you for
supporting me morally and financially and most of all, thank you for bringing me into this world. Let it
be that my dreams are your dreams and your dreams are my dreams. Together we hope that someday,
these dreams will cease to be dreams and become reality.
To my only sister, Jeremie, thank you for your unceasing support and help whenever I had to
finish my projects and reports, for being understanding in times of that I am so sensitive and patience
whenever I asked you to do something.
To my Tito Ato, Tito Jun, Tito Bobot, Tita Teody and Tita Tess, , who allowed me to enter their
homes when we have activities that end late at night, who support me in everything I do.
To Napoli, my cherished classmates, we had been together for three years. Being the class
president for two years is really hard. How could I forget the overwhelming display of unity of our
section, which had made a great impact to the LdiSL community? Our section has the courage, the
determination and the desire to cause a change for the better. With that, we emerged as a PYRAMID
with the simple purpose of having our views heard. In the end, however, we were not just heard we
also learned to listen to other views.
Pyramid is the word that defines us as a section. Many people have said that we are not united.
But we proved them wrong. We have gone through thick and thin and we have emerged victorious
because we worked together, with willingness to listen, to compromise, and to share. As the saying goes,
two heads are better than one. In our case, it was 38 heads put together. And the result is this
momentous occasion.
To my best friends, Melissa, Grace, Claire, Andrei, Sam, Gia, Danice and Mary Joy, thank you
for making every school day a party, for sharing your lunch with me, for being supportive, for caring,
and for the love. We may be far from each other soon but our friendship would never last. I love you
guys!

To the big four, Allyza, Melissa and of course Michael, thank you for making the sacrifices
worthwhile, for making my day complete, for allotting your time with me whenever I need someone to
talk with, for being helpful, and for your unconditional love and patience to me. I love you guys! You
will always be in my heart.
To my close friends, Allyza, Jean, Sam, Allona, Hanna and Anna, thank you for being my true
friends who are always there for me. I wont forget how each one of you helps me in many ways.
To Mrs. Leora P. de Leon, our Physics teacher, thank you for teaching me lot of things. I will
never forget your mind-blowing problem solving. I know in myself that in every word you taught me,
those will be a great help for me in the near future.
To Sir Angel Quintano, our AP teacher, your unceasingly teaching us how to be positive in every
situation is a great help for each one of us.
To Sir Dan Payno, our mathematics teacher, thank you for teaching us how to compute different
equations quickly, giving us the shortest and easiest way for us to understand the lessons.
To Mrs. Marilyn Umalin, my science teacher and my coach in BULPRISA, thank you for
teaching me lot your countless strategies in studies and in different things.
To Mrs. Tiffany Bon, one of my best coaches during the BUPRISA meet, despite my mistakes,
you were there to patiently correct my misuse words and cite some examples that would make me better.
To Sir Rhyan Almadin, our upright commandant, I salute you Sir for your guidance for every one
of us especially those times that I wasnt able to perform my duties.
To Maam Jocelyn Reyes, our TLE teacher, your outlook of being considerate all the time will
always be a great influence to all of us. Thank you for your tireless care in teaching us the problematical
yet enjoying accounting.
To Mrs. Melissa Del Rosario, our MAPEH teacher, thank you for always being active whenever
we had our class, for giving me an extension whenever we had our art activities.
To Ms. Maricar Correa, youd never been my subject teacher but youd been one of my greatest
friends in this institution. Thank you for your advices and unending stories which always make me
laugh. Your powerful voice would always be a remembrance that I at a time I had encountered someone
like you.
To Ms. Richee Cruz, youre not just my English teacher, but also a great mentor, a sister and a
best friend of mine. Your continuous teaching about grammar and many things would always serve as
remembrance for everyone. Thank you for allowing me to bother you when I needed your advice, for
making me strong in times of my struggles, and most of all, for believing that despite my wrong turns

and de tours, I can still be a great student of yours. Thank you, for showing and always reminding me
that I am a one of a kind student who never let the strong winds blow me down and letting myself to
discover my specialties. Thank you Maam for being a blessing of mine! I wont never ever forget that
once in my life I met someone like you.
During my four years of stay in this school, I only had two advisers. To Ms. Mary Rose Lazaro,
my first year adviser, youd not just an adviser but a friend, a sister, a guide of mine. Thank you for
honing my skills in math. They really helped a lot especially in the math section of the entrance
examinations that I took in the different universities. I always tease you for I know I wont able to do
that again, by this it hides what I really feel, the feeling of sorrow that Ill be leaving soon. Thank you
for listening in me whenever I have my glitches, for teaching me how to be strict and strong in every
situation, for making me laugh, and for helping me in escaping my fear in loving someone. Thank you
so much! Im so privileged for having you in my life.
Lastly, my adviser for three years, Ms. Leah de Vera, youre not just an adviser but a loving
friend, a thoughtful sister and mostly an understanding mother of us. Thank you for bearing with us and
caring for us like we are your own children. Thank you for always believing that I could do better, and
for still looking out for me even when I was already in high school. You are so approachable and always
willing to give me pieces of advice that helped me become more responsible and open to new things. I
learned that opening up to new ideas and new experiences intensify the knowledge that I gain in the
classroom and for that I thank you very much. You taught me how to face my fears and now I knew that
theres nothing I couldnt do as long as I strive for it, how to forgive and how to love. What Ive got is
more than what I have hoped for, and this is all because of you Maam. You showed so much kindness
that you cannot help but give back even more love. You did everything Maam, but still I always hurt
and bring in pain to you, my sincerest apology maam. You will always be my second mother who has a
part in my heart. Love you maam!
To you dear Alma Mater, to my fellow Lorenzians, school administration, members of the
faculty and all the rest of the staff, Id like to extend my sincerest appreciation for having molded us into
knowledgeable, disciplined, compassionate and responsible youth, and gradually imbued un us the
proper values needed as we are about to join the mainstream of the society and unto the next
millennium.

Of all the values that I learned and will continue to learn, I find independence as the most
important. My parents really did their best to make me an independent kid. Independence is one of the
most important values to have in order to become a good decision maker and being a good decision
maker helps one become a good leader and person. We cannot just have fun all the time but at the same
time, we cannot just study all the time. I think that if my life was a short story, my mom would be the
cheerful character because it was her who would push me to go out, socialize, make friends, have fun
and enjoy, while my dad would be the serious character. It was him who reminds me to focus on my
studies and give as much effort in studying as when Im playing. What I am trying to say is that we
should find a balance. Balancing fun and work creates an even better individual and I suggest that
everyone should learn to do this.
Lastly, enjoying something that you do makes achieving things effortless. Sometimes it pays not
to worry so much about where you ranked but rather think about the joy you get with what you do. I
know that everyone feels extremely happy and our parents are proud that we are able to secure a
diploma after all these years. Always aim for excellence. Even if you enjoy what youre doing, the
hardships will still be present. I know a lot who strive hard for success and a lot as well who,
unfortunately, just settle for mediocrity. Now, I would like to challenge you to push yourselves harder
and always aim higher because in doing so, you will be successful.
My fellow graduates, let our goal be stated here and now, that we must not just stop by merely
studying in college or having a degree. Let not our success and accomplishment be measured only by
having a career or a white-collar job, or leading a normal, moderate and/or financially stable living. But
I urge everyone to look around and be extra-aware.
Lastly, our commencement exercises today have the element of the future tense. Even as we are
here now, I am sure some of us have already spent so much time reflecting on what lies ahead and have
already laid plans for their future careers. However, I do have one dream for all of us, friends and batch
mates, here today. I dream that one day, we shall all come back here in LdiSL and share with our fellow
Lorenzians what we have become whether we have become teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers,
public servants, entrepreneurs or any other kind of career person.

All of us here are now part of the history of the school and for all of us; the school is now part of
our history. As we go along in life, we will cherish the memories of our time here, and keep to heart the
lessons that we have learned.
We are part of the future of Bulacan and it is in this spirit that the Liceo di San Lorenzo exists.
We are Lorenzians not for ourselves alone.
We are men and women for others. We are men and women for Bulacan.
When the future comes, I hope our paths shall cross, in a distant place, maybe overseas, or in
local places in the Philippines, trying to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos. I hope that we share
the same dream.
My fellow graduates always remember this famous quote by David Frost, Dont aim for success
if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.

Thank you all and congratulations! God bless us al and again a blessed evening everyone.