My Graduation Day

The most important day of my life had just happened recently this year. The word graduation means

more than a ceremony for me. It means changes in my life, to reach a higher stage of my life, the time

to become a new person, the time to grow up, time to follow my dreams and separate responsibilities

from fun. We have fought the fight, and we have overcome, and we took our final walk in the old

stomping grounds. With the help of generous contributions from local companies and the hard work of

the students made Graduation at Capiz National High School a reality. The hot afternoon sun was out,

beaming with pride. I had been waiting for this special day to come for four years. My Family and

Friends were there, excited and cheering for me because I had made it. My fellow graduates were

standing underneath the heated canopy beside the old abandoned halls getting ready to walk onto the

beautiful field. I made sure that my cap and gown were set up nicely. I put a smile on my face to try and

force back the tears that started to line up on the edge on my eyelids. The time was near for all the

graduates to line up and start heading down to the field to begin the ceremony. The walk to the field

seemed to take forever, as if we were all going to a funeral. Every islander graduating was walking to

the rhythm of the music while their parents taking pictures of their daughter/son. After everyone had

the chance to walk, we seated in our assigned chairs. I could feel all eyes in the crowd on me. Starring

at the massive crowd I lost all train of thought, all my senses seemed to disappear. I knew what to do

from all the times we practiced this moment, but I could not hear the crowd or the music and all my

fears vanished. Through out life people go through so many hardships. Whether it be good or bad there

is always something that comes out of the situation. One of the most exciting but yet scariest events

would be graduation. For a lot of people, graduating from high school is a goal. It takes a lot of time and

effort to achieve that goal. In the long run, it opens a lot of opportunities for people to succeed.

Graduation is the end of high school, and the beginning to life. I can almost remember that day like it

was yesterday, I awoke like on any other school day. It was a gorgeous May morning, the rays of sun

flittered through my miniblinds blinding me as if I hadn’t seen light in days. Once I was finished, I

gathered up my cap and gown and my car keys and headed out the door. All the graduates had to meet

in the high school library an hour before the ceremonies started, and I promised one of my best friends

Tony that we would go together. I knocked on his back door and let myself in like I always do. All of his

family members were running throughout the house trying to get ready. I asked his mom where Tony
was and she proceeded to tell me that he was in the bathroom getting ready. I tapped on the door and

walked in. He was standing in front of the mirror with his cap and gown on. He look me straight in the

eyes and said,” Can you believe that we are about to graduate?” I replied,” No, it really hasn’t set in

yet.” Tony finished getting ready, and then we left for the high school. The parking lot was filled with all

the other seniors’ cars. Tony and I walked into the library ten minutes late like usual, and the principal

had already started giving instructions. I found my place in line and then was all ears. I couldn’t help but

look around at all the others. Smiles were plastered on their faces as if they had heard a hilarious joke.

Once the principal concluded his speech, the whole senior class paraded down the hallway to the

commons in two uniform lines stopping just outside the gymnasium doors. We could hear the band

warming up and playing songs. All the people that were standing around me were bubbling.
 My Hard To Forgotten Memories

There are many things to be learned in life, such as values, manners, cultural traditions, so on and so

forth. Personally from my experiences, I’ve learned so many that I can’t even recall. One of the ones

that I do value and that I can honestly say that I believe in the most is the importance of spending time

with my family. In my immediate family, I am the second child out of four girls. Yes, a lot of people do

ask my father how he manages to live with five girls, the fifth being my mom. As a kid, my family and I

would go on many what I like to call, “field trips.” These trips would mostly be to simple everyday

places, such as the zoo, museums, the beach, places of that sort. A couple of times we went to places

out of state, for example, SeaWorld in Ohio and Wisconsin Dells. All these mini vacations used to be so

much fun when I was younger, but later as my sisters and I got older, these trips slowly happened less

and less, eventually stopping altogether.

The last vacation I went on with my family was to Manila in the summer of 2006. Trips to Manila

usually meant going to see my grandparents, but this time I actually went sight seeing too. One of the

places I went to was to a city so beautiful.. This city is famous for all its ancient palaces and statues, so

my dad decided that we should go tour some of them. One of the statues he wanted to visit was this

enormous one in the shape of a bull. Now getting to this big bull required walking down about a

hundred billion stone steps. After a while, one by one, my sisters and I started complaining, me being

the one who complained the most. I kept mentioning how stupid and lame it was to be walking down

all those steps just to see a dumb statue. My dad kept telling me that it would be worth it once we got

there, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to go back to the hotel. Time went by with my never ending

nagging, so my dad just gave up and said we can turn around and leave, so we did. The expression on

his face is one that I’ll never forget. It was so full of disappointment and sadness, just having realized

that all his girls are grown and aren’t interested in what he finds “cool” anymore. My heart broke a little

after seeing it, but my desire to go back was so great that I didn’t say anything. After that day, he never

brought up going on another “fieldtrip” again. I felt so bad that I came to a resolution that the next time

I visited India with him; I would bring him to Mysore and walk down all those stairs with him so he

could see that statue. Two weeks ago, my dad had to get surgery on both of his legs for excessive vein

clots. Over ten veins were pulled out in each leg, leaving both not as strong as they used to be. Climbing

down all those steps is now physically impossible for him, so my resolution of taking him back to
Mysore is no longer achievable. Not walking that extra bit for my dad is something I’ll always repent

because really, how bad would it have been? It certainly wouldn’t have killed me. It would have

resulted in his happiness, something that would always be worth the sacrifice.

After that day, I realized how nice it was to have been able to have done stuff together with my family,

even if sometimes it was lame or dumb. All of us are very busy now, my parents constantly working

trying to make ends meet and my older sister off at college. Most of the time, just me and my two

younger sisters are at home doing homework. Those times when my older sister comes down for break

and when my parents get time, we all go out to a restaurant or to the movies, small places like that.

These outings are nothing like our “fieldtrips,” but they’re still something that mean a lot to me. Being

with my family makes me happier than I usually am and it’s something that I’ll always cherish, love, and

believe in.
 A Simple Summer Vacation

As a child, summertime fun in the sun began with the ringing of the last bell of the day. It

signified that it was time to throw away old home work assignments and to forget about anything to do

with school-for three months at least. Summer time is a time of simple pleasures and exciting times of

the year. Three months of late night sleepovers with best friends, hanging out at the galleria/water

park, and not having to worry about homework had been lingering in the mind since classes began in

the fall. When summer vacation finally rolls around, I can never make up my mind-on what to do first.

Shall it be riding bikes to the park with friends or hanging out at the mall? One thing was for

certain though, the family vacation. For some it was a dreadful thing but not for my close knit family

and me. It meant getting out of town for a specified amount of time, either all at once in a two to three

week period, or several weekend excursions consisting of camping and fishing trips throughout the

summer vacation, the latter being a personal favorite. For me, nothing aided in forgetting about school

better than sleeping under the stars, reeling in a trophy fish, and breathing the cool crisp air.

One particular family trip comes to mind. It was, I think, one of the best summers I had

experienced. It was the summer right after sixth grade, my family and I went on a one week outing into

the mountains. I can still remember the excitement and enthusiasm I shared with my family, especially

with my sister. What made it so memorable was the fun we had out on the lake, five days of sitting in

my fathers lap as I reeled in what seemed like the biggest fish in the world. And who could forget the

exciting water sports, the tubing and skiing made the whole trip worth-while.

By the time August creeps up on you, you begin to wonder where the summer went. As it is with

every summer, there seems never to be enough time to enjoy all the simple things.
 Memoir

[ Summer Vacation, Graduation Day, Hard To Forgotten Memories ]

Submitted by :

Adrian A. Celorico

12 - Deuteronomy

Submitted to :

Mr. Jose Denny Leones

Creative Writing Teacher

January 2020
ADRIAN A. CELORICO GRADE 12 - DEUTERONOMY

MY ROLE AS A COMMUNITY INITIATOR

When I think of the Community Action Initiator, several concepts come into my mind. I think of

interacting, forming friendships, earning respect, being a leader, acting responsibly, and most of all,

creating a sense of community. I consider myself a very friendly and outgoing person, as it has always

been easy for me to make friends and feel comfortable in potentially awkward situations. Making the

switch from living at home to college life is tumultuous to say the least, and as a Resident Advisor, I

want to make my residents feel at home in their residence hall. First impressions can make or break

relationships. In my experience, I almost always remember my first encounter with people, so I think it

is very important to always present yourself in the best possible fashion. I want my residents to see me

for the fun and friendly person I believe myself to be. This means I plan to make a good first impression

on all of my residents, and I hope to make them feel comfortable introducing themselves Not only to

me, but to the rest of the floor community as well. Introduction s are very important, and in order to

foster any sense of community, residents must know each other. I know it will be easy for me to stick

out my hand for that first handshake or that wave hello because thats just the way I am. I hope it will be

equally easy for me to foster this kind of enthusiasm among my residents. For some making the

transition to college life is a daunting task, for others, it is an exciting and embraceable experience.

I think the Community Action Plan provides very helpful guidelines to achieve this sort of residence

atmosphere. By setting community standards, everyone knows from the very beginning what our

expectations are for eachother. This understanding is infinitely important when trying to build a

community based in respect, trust, and responsibility. Stimulating interest in the first floor meeting will

probably be relatively easy, since most people will be anxious to meet the people they will be living

with for the next year, and for those who are less eager, I will be sure to personally invite each of my

residents to the meeting, so I will have a handle on who is a bit scared by being in a new place and

those who are thrilled to be away from their parents. Establishing community standard will most likely

be difficult. I must always remember that recognizing the diversity of a group of people is extremely

important in establishing patterns of living. People have different habits, tastes, and customs. For these

reasons, it is integral that I am aware and respectful of the varied races, ethnicities, religions, and
practices of my residents. It is equally vital that I inspire the same tolerance and respect in my residents.

Some people find it difficult to associate with those whom they consider different. So, as the facilitator

of a community, I must show my residents how to embrace diversity rather fear it. I think if I can make

all my residents accept one another, I will have taken the first and perhaps most important step toward

establishing community standards. It is also very important for me to make my residents aware of my

duties and responsibilities as their Resident Advisor because even though I know I will befriend many of

my residents, they must understand that I still have an obligation to my position. I need to make it clear

to them what I am required to do in the event of any rule breaking. If they are aware of my

responsibilities, it will be easier for them to avoid placing themselves and me in compromising

situations. I know there will be times when it will be difficult for me to play the role of an enforcer

because I would much rather rely on the respect of my residents then my own authority as a

paraprofessional. However, I know there will be situations in which I will have to stand my ground or

mediate situations that need my attention. Fortunately, I believe I possess skills that will be helpful in

my efforts to maintain a strong community, even in the event of conflict.

ADRIAN A. CELORICO GRADE 12 - DEUTERONOMY

RIGHTS TO HAPPINESS

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their

Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of

Happiness.” That memorable line from America’s Declaration of Independence makes it clear that we

are at liberty to pursue lives of our own choosing. Our path in this world is ours to make. It is not

predestined by government. It is time to think more expansively about the right to pursue happiness.

Specifically, it is time we acknowledge that our freedom to pursue happiness is the basis of many other

corresponding rights, including the right to innovate and the right to earn a living.

Our right to pursue happiness aligns with our corresponding rights to speak, learn, and move about the

world. Our constitutional heritage secured these rights and made it clear that we possess them simply

by nature of being human beings. So long as we do not bring harm to others, we are generally free to

act as we wish. These rights also serve as the basis of more specific freedoms: the freedom to tinker

and try, or to innovate more generally. Knowledge isn’t a mere collection of words that have existed

since the dawn of time, and growth isn’t merely a matter of luck or destiny. Knowledge comes from acts

of trial-and-error experimentation, and growth comes from innovation.Repressing innovation has

profound consequences. When critics decry a particular innovation or propose limiting entrepreneurial

acts, they are challenging our freedom to know and learn more about the world and pursue a better

future. By challenging our freedom to experiment with new and better ways of doing things, critics are

essentially condemning us to the status quo. Worse yet, denying people the freedom to innovate

deprives society of the wisdom and prosperity that accompanies innovation, which is the foundation of

human flourishing.In sum, if you are not free to innovate, you are not free to pursue happiness. So, let

us resolve to clearly establish that the freedom to pursue happiness and the freedom to innovate are, in

reality, the exact same right. Our freedom to try, to tinker, to learn, and to know are all just the same as

our “freedom to innovate” and our freedom to pursue happiness however we see fit to pursue it.

Fostering a social and political culture that protects entrepreneurialism, the freedom to innovate, and

the right earn a living is a moral imperative because it has enormous consequences for the well-being
of current and future generations. To the extent this freedom is denied, the burden of proof and the

consequences for this denial lies with those critics who would wish it so.