Finally a High School Graduate (Repost from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Finally, a high-school graduate

Right before graduation!

High school flew by so quickly. I couldn’t believe I was sitting there, ready to graduate. We were finally at the finish line, about to walk up that stage to get our diploma.

It’s amazing how much all of us have changed over the past few years. Going through all our photos, I realized much has happened since we entered high school. Some of us have gotten fatter, while others have gotten thinner. Some of us have gotten into relationships, while others have explored various activities, ranging from academics to athletics and extracurricular activities.

High school was about growing up and discovering ourselves, trying new things and exploring our interests. It was also about getting acquainted with the opposite sex, hanging out with friends and learning how to socialize. It was about finding a group to be part of, or in local terms, a barkada. But more importantly, high school was about learning how to care not only about ourselves, but also about the people around us.

As I went through the Facebook timeline of my different batchmates right before graduation, I couldn’t help but feel sentimental as I remembered the different experiences we had had in Xavier School.

Honestly, it was only this past year that I really learned how to fully appreciate my Xavier education, which has given me a plethora of unique experiences like the One2One Program (where we got to use laptops in class), the SM Immersion Program (where we got to experience being an SM employee), the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Entrepreneurship Project (where we partnered with GK social enterprises) and a myriad of other programs and activities.

But now the challenge is using all these to try and make a bigger impact on society as we move to the next chapter of our lives. We may not know how exactly we can make a difference in such a complicate d world, but I firmly believe that our generation will find a way.

Our generation is known as the one that has been given the gift of being able to share every single moment in our life. We have gone through our high school years documenting every memory and sharing them with the world with the different social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And it’s exciting to guess what this connectedness and advancements in technology will do for us in the future, as we enter the next chapter of our lives.

Separate ways

Nothing will ever be the same. I will honestly miss seeing the faces of each one of my classmates from section A. I will miss the A-men and H4A, the class that taught me that school isn’t all about the grades; it’s also about learning how to have fun in life. They taught me how to value every member of the class, and how to simply enjoy the moment.

Although we may be going to different universities in the Philippines and abroad, we will always carry with us the values and skills that we learned in Xavier School—from cramming assessments, going on service programs and class retreats, and reflecting upon all these experiences.

As I look back at the past year, I couldn’t have asked for more. It’s perfectly fitting that I end my senior year by thanking everyone who has made a difference in my life over the past 18 years, and more specifically this year.

Thank you to my family for their never-ending support, and for being there with me every step of the way. Thank you so much to all my teachers who taught me lessons both in and out of the classroom. Thank you to my coaches and mentors for challenging me and for bringing out the best in me. Thank you, Xavier School, for teaching me how to make the most of my talents, and to always strive for excellence.

At the start of this school year, after I tore my anterior cruciate ligament, I wasn’t sure how exactly the year would turn out. But I told myself that I would make the most of my last year in Xavier School by joining as many activities as I could and by giving my best shot both in academics and extra-curricular activities.

Yet, throughout the year, I realized that senior year was more than just about the test scores, college applications, achievements or the clubs and committees I joined.

Senior year was extremely memorable because I chose to spend more time with the people I care about. It was about choosing to make new friends and cherish old ones. It was about choosing to stay that extra hour in school so I could spend more time with my friends. It was about turning every single day in class into a shared experience. And finally, it was about turning every single experience into a memorable one.

So, thank you to all my friends, who have made this senior year of mine the perfect encapsulation of what a journey it has been. May we never forget the little wonders, small hours and shared experiences we spent with each other because 10, 20 years from now, when we cross paths once again, we will be looking back at high school as some of the best years in our life.

Class picture 🙂

 

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“Don’t Count The Days, Make The Days Count” – How I Spent My Pre-Grad Week

1 year left, 4 months, 2 months, 3 weeks, 2 weeks and then 1 week and then finally 1 day and then, here it is today, the day of graduation.

They told us not to count the days but to make the days count. And this past week, I tried to just forget about everything else and try to spend each moment with the people who have made this past school year, actually, my entire high school life a surreal and memorable one.

This past week was filled with different outings, hang-outs, reunions and events that can actually in a way sum up what high school has been about for me. Even the 3 day graduation practices we had were moments I got to spend with my friends talking about past high school memories and at the same time, future plans for not only this summer but for college as well.

Basketball – First time in a long time

Right after graduation practice ended, a few friends and I decided to hit the court and play some ball. I honestly wasn’t even sure why I was playing when I haven’t even gotten surgery for my torn ACL. Yet even if my movement was very limited, I still enjoyed myself so much as I ran the court, shouted taunts, dribbled that ball and took a shot.

Because basketball will always be part of me! Missed this game so much!

Simply put, I was reminded of all the days I spent shooting hoops with my friends and playing those full-court games with them. I was reminded of the beauty of basketball and why I loved this game so much. And maybe the biggest reason why is the shared bond you get to build with the people you play with.

The “Last Full Show”, and A Dance That Doesn’t End Here

It was around a month ago when I ballposed to my friend from ICA through the newspaper http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/152132/will-you-go-to-the-ball-with-me and in a blink of an eye, our Grad Ball is all over. That was it, our last full show.

We weren’t little kids anymore running around the playground.  We weren’t high school freshmen anymore excited for all the interactions with girls’ schools. We were fine young gentleman enjoying one of the last events in high school.

Time certainly didn’t wait for us. So many things have happened since we’ve stepped on the grounds of Xavier School. A lot of us have gone through so many different things in the last 4 years in high school, yet here we all were gathered for one last time.

For one night we got to sit down with our dates and appreciate everything we’ve been through in high school. They say that the Grad ball is a rite of passage, a last event that is supposed to celebrate the end of high school; and true enough, it was and so much more.

Many thanks to Mai Ting for making my “Last Full Show” a memorable one 🙂

As they played the throwback and grad ball video, I couldn’t help but feel sentimental as pictures starting from our very first day in Xavier School to the Grad ball event itself flashed. Yet, part of me didn’t want to believe that the night was soon coming to an end. As I dropped my date off her house and said good bye, I couldn’t believe how just like that another last in high school was over.

When you want to graduate already but at the same time, you don’t

After I took my last SATs, I thought I’d finally be able to go back to blogging regularly. Yet, from the day my SATs ended, so many things have happened that I’ve been unable to fully cherish every single moment.

A few of the many photos during my last school fair as a Xavier student…..

Suddenly, a string of events blows past me. Just last weekend, we had our last school fair and variety show as Xavier students. It was a sentimental moment for us as we look at each other and how far we’ve gone since we entered high school yet in a few months, we’ll be leaving the place that has become our second home.

Everyone is thinking of the future, and what awaits us. All the seniors are excited to graduate and move on to college. Every single class suddenly seems so different. Even our teachers notice it and starting to teach in a different way. Or maybe, it’s also me seeing things from a different perspective now that there’s only 3 more weeks of classes.

It’s like I want to graduate already but at the same time I don’t.

One Year Blogging Anniversary — The Best Is Yet To Be

I know I should be doing some last minute review for my SAT subject tests right now but as I posted my post on taking my last SATs tomorrow just a few minutes ago, I noticed a WordPress notification with a little trophy and as I clicked on it, there it came, “Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!”

One year of finding the silver lining in every step of the journey

Indeed, time flies. I can’t believe it’s been a year since I started this blog. And reading through some of my posts, I can’t help but feel that I’ve somehow learned how to enjoy life more, to make life count a bit more.

Funny how in some ways, I have gone through a 360 degree change but deep down, I’m still the same David who one year ago started this blog with a purpose. This same purpose I guess is what has enabled me to continue blogging about my experiences, learnings and adventures. 

And no matter how much I’ve changed since the day I started my blog, January 23, 2013, I’m actually still the same curious student of life with a bit more love for writing, but just as perplexed with the obscurities of life as I ever was.

Last Quarter of Senior Year – Let’s Make It Count

I sat there finishing my common application during New Year until the very next day, pulling off an all night-er after spending the previous week just working on several different drafts.

Then a few days later, the Christmas break is all over. Got to admit, time does fly by quickly. Freshman year seemed just like yesterday yet there I was finishing up my college applications then BOOM!

TOMORROW is finally the start of the final quarter of my senior year. First quarter was the warm-up, second quarter was the start of the race, third quarter was the mid way mark and finally, here it is, the trek to the finish line, the fourth quarter.

Small Acts of Kindness Do Make A Difference

Just the other day, I met this one person who’s actions really stood out and struck me. This person didn’t do something crazy, spectacular or out of the blue, this person simply offered to take my picture with my graduating sister. It was such a simple act that no one would really expect and what a lot of other people would take for granted, but it was an act of kindness that really touched me. Honestly, this person could have chose to just let us be and not mind us at all, but this person was so amiable and affectionate that she cordially offered to take our picture.

“Genuine kindness is no ordinary act, but a gift of rare beauty” – Sylvia Rossetti

During this day and age, it is not everyday that you meet an affable person who offers his/her help without having to be asked. That’s what you call initiative and genuine kindness. In terms of sheer impact, what this person did may not have moved mountains but it definitely made a difference, for me at least. Here’s the thing, a lot of us think that these minuscule  acts won’t make a difference so we end up being passive and not doing anything, but in reality, these simple acts can make a difference.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  -Aesop

We are social beings and one small act of kindness can create a ripple effect throughout the world. When one does a small act of kindness to one person, that person will feel really grateful and in turn, will try to do be more altruistic and do acts of kindness in his own simple way. This will lead to him/her affecting the people around him/her and really inspiring others to follow the first person’s lead and be more compassionate to others. This will end up creating a domino effect and before you know it, one small act of kindness could be the start of a thousand more, then maybe people will see that one simple act, no matter how small, can make a difference.

“Kindness gives birth to kindness.” ~ Sophocles

Meeting this person truly was a blessing from God and I want to share this blessing to everyone in the world. The small act of kindness that I received just the other day from that person is something that has truly inspired me to be more warmhearted and to spread this kindness and what better way to do this then by blogging.

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” – Mother Teresa

To end this blogpost, I challenge everyone, myself included, to be more compassionate, more benevolent, more altruistic, more cordial and in the simplest word, more KIND. Smile more, give more, care more and simply LOVE more.

I also encourage fellow bloggers to write a post about kindness or about their own experience about small acts of kindness and how it has made a difference in their life.

-DOitChoco