To our beloved Director and Principal/Directress Mr. and Mrs.

Enrique
Zabarte, to our Vice-Principals Mrs. Editha Berganos, Mrs. Ma. Luisa Cruz, and Mrs.
Elnora Arreola, members of the Faculty and Administration, the graduating batch
S.Y. 2009-2010’s very proud parents, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen...

Good evening to all of you.

Being the valedictorian is not only a great honor and privilege, but an
opportunity to thank the all the people close to my heart who have touched my life
and made me who I am today.

First, nothing is possible without God. This honor is only from Him and only
for Him. Thank you Lord God for giving me the opportunity to stand in front of my
dear batchmates right this very moment.

Second, I would like to honor the silent heroes behind a child’s success: our
very own proud parents. I thank my mother and father for all of their hard work and
perseverance so that I could stand before you tonight. Everything you have taught
me will always have a special place in my heart. To all the parents gathered here
tonight...I, on behalf of the entire graduating batch, salute you for your selflessness
and sacrifices for us even though at times, we would rather have our own way.
Thank you for giving us a chance to be a part of this very important occasion.

Third, I want to thank all of my fellow Sacreans who in some way, became a
part of my life. To Jeselle, my best friend for 9 years, we have gone a long way from
being just naive Grade 2 pupils. We have experienced many joys and heartaches
together. When I have the best of times, you are with me to celebrate and share the
laughter and happiness. When I have the worst of times, you are still with me to
sympathize with the sorrow. You are with me through everything...and I am truly
grateful for that. To all of my closest friends Kathleen, Iggy-sama, Jara, Jessica,
Madz, Arvie, Jovelyn, Danchi, Hiro, Kat-kat, Aira-neechan, Mameng, Ms. Joy, Kuya
Layug and Boss Tsuna, to my Loyalty, St. Matthew, Narra, and most
especially...Jaena or I should say rather...Chaena family, and to my schoolmates,
thank you for making the 4 years of my High School Life especially memorable.
Thank you for all the times I’ve been with you, and I’m sorry for all the wrong things
I’ve done to you.

Fourth, my appreciation goes to all of my mentors in SHAN. To all of my

teachers in elementary and high school, thank you for all the lessons you have
imparted upon me. These lessons are not only the ones that are taught in the
academic subjects, but also in the subject of your life and character. To my tall and
slim adviser, Ms. Acebron or Mommy Chai, aside from your nosebleeding lessons in
Math, thank you for teaching us to have proper posture at all times, to be neat and
organized in everything, not to be selfish, and to always follow deadlines. To Ma’am
Silang, thank you for all the pieces of advice you have shared to me, and to Ma’am
Garcia for treating us once to kutsinta as our merienda.
 Finally, to my Alma Mater, my second home for 10 years. Thank you for
everything I’ve learned and to the memories I’ve earned.

My dear batchmates, we are gathered here tonight to slowly close the

backdoor of our high school life, remembering and relishing every laughter, every
tear, every success, every failure, every lesson learned, every friend gained, and
every memory earned, and gently open the front door of our college life, facing
every challenge, every struggle, every goal, and every dream.

We try to remember the first time we stepped in as Freshmen, excited about

leaving elementary days behind and entering the stage where we’ll not be treated
like kids anymore, but as young ladies and young gentlemen. However, we are
nervous of what lies ahead in our high school life, and quite uncertain about the
future. We looked back at the time we were Sophomores, proud to have a head
start of experience. We smile when we remember our Junior days. We will never
forget the Big 250 cheer in the Intrams, and the excitement and anxiousness we
had in our first JS Prom. Being a Senior is perhaps the most memorable one.
Retreat...Camping...knowing better at the JS Prom...the Offlimits winning at a dance
contest...these are the moments we will never forget...the moments we now bring
to...graduation.

We try to imagine the first time we will step in to a college/university as

Freshmen, sad about leaving high school days behind but excited about entering
the stage where we’ll not be treated as young ladies and young gentlemen
anymore, but as full-grown and mature adults.