To all the important people present here today, especially to our loving and ever-supportive principal, Mrs. Maria Santia A. Arboleda, our honorable guest speaker, Dr. Niño Jeryl S. Dela Torre, our GPTA president, Mrs. Remia H. Donguines, our Alumni president, Ms. Adorada T. Reynaldo, the faculty and staff, proud parents, relatives, friends, visitors, all the successful Junior High School completers, ladies and gentlemen, a pleasant morning to everyone.
As I stand before you today, allow me to introduce myself. I am Jasmine Roldan Bartolome, daughter of Jonathan and Mae, and a sister of Bon Rudolf. My classmates and teachers call me Barto, a nickname which came from the first two syllables of my last name. Many of you know me as someone who always joins Science Quiz Bees, serves as the commentator whenever our batch is the mass sponsor, and the consistent top student. No words can express the joy that I feel for the opportunity given to me to deliver this speech. To speak in front of you and to share my story of how Regional Science High School for Region VI transformed me to who I am today has always been one of my greatest goals in my whole Junior High School life and so as I start, I want you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
It was in 2013 when I’ve decided where I will pursue my secondary education after graduating Elementary. I was a 5th grader that time when I’ve stumbled on the pictures of my mom, depicting her high school moments. She was wearing the same green and white striped uniform but of a slightly different design. When I asked her about it, she described how simple their lives were as students and how different professionals were molded and produced by their school. Upon hearing the name, Science Development National High School, I knew that it’s the institution meant for me, perfect for my dream career which is to become a doctor.
By the help of God’s unending grace, I was able to pass the entrance exams and belong to the first section. I had a very rough start because I didn’t know anyone and I wasn’t familiar with the place. Adapting to my new environment became my number one struggle back then. I can still remember clearly the day in my first week of school where I cried as I go back home. It was because of the long walk alone along the road of Old Buswang that it took me before I got home. I was so nervous that time, my heart was beating so fast and my sweat was slowly drenching my shirt while the skies were turning dark so swiftly. Blue tricycles, which were the only ones that I can ride on, were out of sight. I was about to give up hope when my aunt suddenly appeared and offered me a ride. “Ayaw ko na, Ma. Babalik na lang ako sa dati kong school,” was the line I said to my mother as she opened our gate. Well, apparently, I chose to stay.
The Jasmine that entered Grade 7 is a whole lot different from the Jasmine you see here up on stage. She was so confined to her comfort zone that she gave up easily on things that didn’t work out the way she expected. She was clueless, didn’t have the courage to face difficulties and had a mind controlled by fear, but because of the people that surrounded her, she strived to get better and stood up to meet any challenge she may encounter.
I came to school every day with my heart beating out of my chest. There were times when I experienced failure, but I learned not to dwell on them. There were times when I felt so lonely and down, but I learned to make true friendships that lifted me up. And there were times when I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders, but I learned to cast all my anxieties on the Lord and trust His better plans for me. My fear didn’t go away but as years have passed, I’m glad to say that it no longer wields control, paralyzing me in its grasp. These experiences taught me what the modules could never give, helped me know myself and shaped my character.
To my fellow completers, I want to share to you this quote that I got from Father David Concepcion, “Your future will be dictated by the books you read and the people you are with.” For most of us, we entered RSHS-VI with a dream and an ambition. Today, together we stand, armed with knowledge, skills and values to bring this dream closer to reality. To be part of this family will forever be an honor and joy and so I want thank the people who made our success within the bounds of possibility.
First and foremost, I would like to thank our almighty Father for the overwhelming blessings and graces that He showers upon us. His divine providence, guidance and protection made every single day of our lives possible.
To our parents, the foundations of who we are and what we have become, the ones who hardly stopped working and didn’t fail to give us our needs--love, care, trust, and the material things we needed in our student life, the individuals who made sure we are healthy enough to face our struggles in life, thank you so much for giving us strength and inspiration in every step of the way. We are grateful to you, for being so understanding whenever we needed to spend our time studying and making our outputs even during the weekends. Thank you for accompanying us in our sleepless nights by providing us your support, be it financially, morally or spiritually. Thank you for being kind enough to deal with our sometimes rebellious and ungrateful behaviours. We share with you every honour we receive today for you have sacrificed so much just for us to reach this moment.
To our dearest teachers, who served as our second parents in the classroom, our sincerest gratitude goes to you for molding our characters which are essential in making our own destinies. Thank you for sharing your talents and giving your efforts for us to fill our minds with knowledge and wisdom, and for making sure that we are equipped with skills as we enter a new chapter in our lives as students. On a personal note, I want to express my gratitude to all my Science teachers, Ma’am Alma, Sir Gerald, Ma’am Georgina and Ma’am Ruthelyn, for giving me the opportunity to represent our school in the different Science quiz bees throughout my four years. Thank you for all the review sessions we have shared and for all the reference materials that surely enhanced my scientific knowledge and fuelled my burning passion for Science. The YES-O and Science camps that we’ve gone through gave me so much experiences that brought excitement and vibrancy to my journey. And to my beloved advisers, Ma’am Cawaling, Ma’am Vicente, Ma’am Taligatos and Ma’am Yap, thank you for all the encouragements, guidance and hard work you’ve put into disciplining me and my classmates. And to our dearest principal, Ma’am Arboleda, thank you so much for all the support you have given for us to have a good learning environment. All of your advices and words of motivation after flag ceremonies and during school assemblies helped us get to where we are today.
To my classmates and batchmates whom I spent the most time with, you have painted this journey with drama, conflicts, laughter and triumph. I couldn’t imagine my Junior High School life without being with you and I’m very grateful that God has brought us together. It’s indeed a blessing that we have lived a few of the most memorable years of life with each other. As I look back at the moments we shared, I realized how much I have learned from you and I pray that you feel the same way too. You are the reason why I knew what true friendship is and how it can bring out the best out of us. Thank you for helping me know myself, by all of the kinds words like “Ang ganda ng boses mo,” which boosted my confidence and made me believe in my potentials. Thank you for thinking out of the box and bringing to life all of the ideas that first started in our minds during presentations and group projects. Thank you for showing what friends are for, by being the strongest support system and lending your ears just to listen to all my dramas, my corny jokes and my constant fake greetings which always made your hearts stop and activated your sympathetic nervous systems. The bond that we have made is truly priceless and can never be replaced. I will never forget how we managed to survive the challenges which at first, we didn’t think we could surpass. Whenever we are in the midst of chaos and discouragement, we’ve always found peace and hope in the lines “Kaya natin ‘to” and “Matatapos din ‘to.” Dearest classmates, thank you for doing it right. You helped me grow not just as a student but also as a person. I'm so proud of each of you and all of your accomplishments.
To all of the other members of the school community who made our school a better venue for learning, our security guards that radiate positivity by giving us smiles as we enter the gate, the school canteens which provided us with energy replenishing foods, the computer shops which accompanied us as we do our projects, assignments, group activities and also procrastinations and lastly, the non-teaching staff, thank you for your dedication and loyalty.
By sharing my story to all of you, I hope that I’ve inspired you to overcome your own challenges, learn from life, and be brave enough to share yours too. Let your voice be heard and use it to inspire. Thank you and to God be the glory!
Jasmine R. Bartolome
JHS Completer- First Honors
Regional Science High School for Region VI
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