INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE FOR THE HTU-BED JUNIORS AND SENIORS ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR JS PROMENADE (präm′ə nād′, -näd′)

Thank you Mam Glaiza for the introduction.

Sr. Concepta Roque, O. P., Dominican sisters, Mr. Carlos Salvador, Ms. Belinda Operiano, Ms. Loreta Homo, faculty, beloved juniors and seniors, good evening.

May I ask all the seniors to stand? Can we give them a round of applause? Earlier, our hosts were asking
if we really know the meaning of JS Promenade.
Well, Proms are made and are done usually towards the end of the school
year to give honor to the seniors. This is
your night. You may now take your seats,
please. Thank you.

When I was asked by Sir Norman to be your speaker tonight, I was both hesitant and excited. Firstly, I really don’t know what to tell you since I don’t remember that we had a speaker during our prom back in high
school. Second, I ask myself the
question, why of all people, was I chosen to be your speaker? Added to that, my daughter, a third year high
school student asked me, “Why did they choose you mama. Were you a prom queen then”? No, I wasn’t.
But then, I tried to reminisce and travel back through my own time
capsule and memories and tried to remember how we danced and enjoyed the night. I am happy to see tonight, my partner during
our JS Prom when I was a junior – Mr. Jonathan Gatan, now happily and proudly
assisting his daughter Abby.

I know everyone's so psyched about this formal event every year. We all worry about our dresses, our dates and our after-prom gimmicks. It's a tradition already, and through the years some people think
that it has become this superficial, glamorous, and an expensive event. I guess it's about time we learn the deeper
meaning and objective of proms. That a prom is a formal hand-over ceremony of the seniors'
responsibilities with the juniors accepting it."

I was assigned to accept the scepter which of course symbolizes power when I was a junior. At that time, it was just all about memorizing the lines and accepting the scepter properly. Not thinking of the deeper meaning of the “scepter”
which also contains the challenges being passed on by our CAT Corp Commander
then who later became a PMA Cadet and now an officer in the Navy, as the senior
representative, to us juniors. That I
was representing the juniors accepting the scepter at that time was totally out
of context. At that time, it was the fun of the dance, the songs and the
excitement that all the seniors and juniors gather together. It doesn’t happen
every time. I was not really thinking
that the “power of the scepter” also comes with a “responsibility”.

When I was a senior, it was my turn then to turn over the scepter to a junior, with the same excitement. Still about memorizing lines and not committing mistakes. But, the turn over is more than that.

All the little symbolism like, the lighting of the candle, the turning over of the key, the book of knowledge, the scepter, that a senior representative hands over to a junior
representative symbolizes conscientiousness and responsibility which means by
next school year, the juniors will become seniors and will be the eldest so to
say – the kuyas and the ates of all high school students. They will be the role models that every high
school students look up to. It is not an
easy task. To be a role model is to be an example. Role models are persons whose behaviour is
emulated by others. Persons who serve as
example of the values, attitudes, and behaviors. Persons who distinguish themselves in such a
way that others admire and want to be like them. And this I believe is the most challenging
role for the juniors – of becoming a role model. Be reminded however that the willingness to
accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect
springs. Adulthood becomes synonymous with responsibility.

The class will and testament that the senior batch wants to give as inheritance to the junior batch is the list of the skills, ability and talents that they wanted to pass on to the next
batch. I don’t remember mine then. Nonetheless, to the juniors, the seniors must
really have seen in you qualities which they believe will help you put the
university in the limelight. It’s another
responsibility then. But let not this
will and testament delimit you from discovering more of what you can do. I encourage you to discover more your innate
talents and skills.

When I was doing this sharing, I posted in my facebook account, yes I do facebook, this shout out: Attention high school batch 87: Please a copy of our class prophecy. I even dug up old photo albums to check on
who’s who that night because I wanted
to share them with you – until this morning, no one commented on the post. I wonder why, maybe just like me they’re also
trying to recall what was in our class prophecy and see how much our batch had
faired after twenty years.

What was it then? I couldn’t remember all. Except that some have really stuck to what they wanted to be – doctors, businessmen, teachers. I didn’t become a nun – that was
in the class prophecy. Maybe, to be a nun wasn’t really my vocation.

It is important to envision what we want ten years from now or more than that not just for the class prophecy but to make us dream and become what we want. Yes, we all have dreams. But in order to make dreams into
reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline,
and effort.

As the Little Prince said, it's a question of discipline". "When you've finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend your planet. Read the book “The Little Prince”, it’s very
inspiring.

As young as you are, many may not really be serious of delving into the real meaning of responsibility – not maybe until you’re in college or you’re married or when you’re tending your
own planet as the Prince said.

One of my favorite line in the movie “Casper”, not the cartoons, was – “Just believe”. You just believe. To be responsible is to believe – in yourself – in your ability to make a difference. Think of yourself as a part of a
mosaic. When one part is lacking, a
mosaic is not complete. It doesn’t make
sense.

The night may be over in a little while – but your responsibility won’t end tonight. The seniors might have already turn over everything to the juniors and the juniors have just accepted them. Now the juniors who will be seniors become
responsible to the juniors that will follow them and to everyone – it’s a cycle
– it won’t end. As the little Prince
puts it – you are responsible for what you have tamed. And that is the challenge.

Before ending, let me share with you a story between a master and his student. Once, the student asked his master. “Master, I have a bird in my hand”, he said. “Guess whether it’s in my left or right hand”. The master answered his student and said, “It’s in your hands. If I say that it is in
your right hand, you may transfer it to your left. And if I say that it is in you left hand, you
may transfer it to your right”.

My dear students, it’s all now in your hands. In a ballgame you say, “My ball”.

Thank you and good evening.

About Maribel Carulasan-Buñi

Maribel Carulasan-Buñi is the Chief Tourism Operations Officer of the Tourism Division, Provincial Government of Palawan. An
alumna of the Holy Trinity University, she is one among the few alumni who studied
and graduated in the university since elementary. Kindergarten in 1977, Grade School in 1983,
High School in 1987, Tertiary in 1991, Graduate Studies in 2004. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree
in Bachelor of Science in Education major in Mathematics, minor in English and
Merittissimus with a degree in Master of Arts in Education major in
Administration and Supervision.