Graduation 2012

You know that feeling when you're looking forward to something and you feel all kinds of excitement beforehand? If you do, then you also probably know how it feels when that thing/event you've waited for and been excited about passes. Suddenly, all of those positive feelings you had is replaced with a sense of sadness and loss.

That's exactly how I felt after going home from UST after our graduation ceremony. But even though it kind of makes me feel crappy that it's all over now, what keeps me from feeling crappier are the moments I shared with my beloved friends and classmates right after we sang the UST Hymn altogether one last time. The smiles, the hugs, and words of congratulations to each other are things I most certainly will not forget.

I would not have been able to accomplish everything on time during the last stretch of my academic life if it weren't for the following people: my Thesis group mates, my group in Compiler Design, the rest of my class (4CSC), and finally, the professors who were forever supportive of our efforts to achieve our goal of finishing our degree in Computer Science.

Most especially, I would not be where I am today if it hadn't been for the endless love and support from my family. Even though only one of my brothers made it to see me get up on stage, I sincerely appreciated my two other brothers watching from Ustream. Hehe. It's times like this that I become really, really appreciative of technology. :)

And to all the Neocentennial graduates of the UST Faculty of Engineering -- Cheers to us for we have come out as victors from the most challenging task of our lives yet! From now on, we may face harder challenges and experience greater failures but that doesn't mean we should give up, even if the universe suggests otherwise. Keep in mind what J.K. Rowling once said:

"It is impossible to live without failure. Unless you live so cautiously that you avoid life -- in which case you fail by default."