University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi
The Premier Dominican University of Bicol
The Premier Dominican University of Bicol
After a two-year academic residence in the university, three hundred sixty-two Legazpi Thomasians filled the UST-Legazpi Dome for the 6th Graduation Ceremonies of UST-Legazpi’s Senior High School Department on June 13, 2023.
Dressed in uniformed graduation Filipiniana and Barong Tagalog, this year’s Senior High School graduates are composed of the following: two hundred eighty-one from the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand, forty-four from the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand, and thirty-seven from the Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) strand.
Rev. Fr. Ernesto M. Arceo, OP, STL, Ph.D., university Rector and President, graced the event with his presence the and gave an inspirational message before confirming the senior high school students as graduates.
In his speech, Fr. Arceo first wished everyone safety from the continuing eruption of the Mayon volcano which, as of this writing, is on Alert Level 3.
Meanwhile, Ria Denise G. Chua, with Highest Honors and recipient of the Rector and President’s Award for Academic Excellence delivered the address of thanks.
“Time is relentless; it never stops”, Ria declared as she opened her speech of gratitude.
Ria said that the unstoppable nature of time taught them to face academic challenges with unyielding perseverance until they no longer felt like challenges.
“Undoubtedly, today, we are more than who we were yesterday but tomorrow, we embark on yet another journey filled with mystery,” she added.
“Truly sometimes, time is cruel, as it compels us to leave the comfort of familiarity and face the unforeseeable future. But most times, time is promising. It allows us to revisit and reflect on what once was, live what is, and look forward to what will be,” she continued.
In the end, before Ria and her batchmates go separate ways, she told the senior high graduates, “In honor of this year’s graduating batch, I would like to leave three words for our past, two words for our future, and one word for our present.”
“Class of 2023, I’ll miss you, good luck, and congratulations!”
On the other hand, the senior high school class of 2023 sang their originally composed graduation song, a tradition observed in the university. This year, it is the song “Panibagong Simula” sung by Jheline Idonah Arevalo, Patricia Anne Ret, and Godfrey Josrom Barruga with accompaniment by Godfrey Josrom Barruga, Yuan Zachary Aguinillo, Yna Reign Bonayon, and Chloe Leona Chardae Rios.
Adding a final core memory, an audio-visual presentation led the class down memory lane featuring the life of this year’s graduating class featuring Jev Heyer Manga and Euneses Gabriel Ana, produced by Yna Reign Bonayon, Zofiya Nisha Ramirez, Art Andrei Ceneta, and directed by Hans Angel Felices.