Second Chances

Hi everyone! I’m just really happy I wanna share with you my speech last graduation. 🙂

Here it is:

It is a great honor to be here. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who helped me get to where I am right now: standing in front you.

When I first came to MTIM, I was a bit anxious; you see I am already 6 years late in finishing college. My only goal was to graduate so I could take the CPA board exam. My classmates and even some professors are younger than me. I even experienced being mistaken for a teacher during my first weeks. With that I never expected I could make some friends. Let alone, be the one standing here delivering this message to you.

As we all know, MTIM is a home for second chances. Let me continue with my story. I was a graduate of Bachelor in Accounting Technology at MSU-IIT. It was a 4 year course and I still need to study one more year to complete BSA.  But I was not able to take the qualifying exams for the fifth and last year. Mother got sick and I needed to find a way to help them send my other siblings to school. I worked as a callcenter agent for 6 years in Cebu City forgetting my dream of becoming a CPA. I thought I was okay with it. But every time I hear of my batchmates passing the board, I can’t help but be envious of them. I prayed for guidance and later on decided it’s not too late for me to start again. I tried going back to MSU-IIT but was told the curriculum had changed so it was not possible. My former batchmates suggested that I enroll here at MTIM.  I was informed at the admin that I needed to stay here for 2 more years. With the financial help of my parents, siblings, cousins and my boyfriend I was able to pursue my dream again. It was not easy. I needed to remember topics which I had taken up over a decade ago. But it did not stop me from doing my best. I did hope to graduate with flying colors so I could avail discounts from review centers but God had a better idea and gave me more than I had asked for: the privilege to share with you my story.

On behalf of my fellow graduates who are transferees like me, I would like to express my deepest thanks to our alma mater, MTIM for this second chance. For helping us find the hope we once lost. Thank you for accepting and believing in us. All of the graduates transferees or not, are forever grateful to you for molding us so we could realize our dreams. We may take different paths, but you will always be a big part of our journey we will never forget.

Let us also not forget the teachers for imparting their knowledge and wisdom to us. We will forever be indebted to you. Thank you for your patience, hard work and dedication.

To my friends whom I fondly call “para sa ekonomiya” thank you so much. You made college life filled with laughter and fun.

To our classmates who always made sure no one’s left behind, thank you. All those after-class tutorials you scheduled whenever a member of our class needs to take removal exams paid off.

I would also like to thank our parents and guardians. I think everyone would agree with me that they deserve all the praises and gratitude, for without them, we wouldn’t be here today. Thank you for giving us all the kind of support we needed to get this far.

To my mama and papa thank you. I know it wasn’t easy sending us to school but you always do everything to get the education we needed. I know this was not how we planned it but I hope I still made you proud.

I also thank the Almighty Father for this blessing. Truly, your plans are always better than our dreams.

My fellow graduates, we are now a step closer to becoming CPAs. Let us not waste this opportunity. Continue moving forward and face all the challenges head-on. As my favorite author J.K Rowling once quoted, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” You only fail when you stop trying. I challenge you to never give up on your dreams, to always do your best so you will never have “what if’s” in the future.

As we   turn the last page of our college life, I would like to congratulate everyone. The real battle awaits us. I know it won’t be easy but rest assured there will always be second chances to those who refuse to quit. As they say, quitters never win, winners never quit.

Congratulations batch 2016!