Finally Graduated From High School With a Heart Full of Gratitude
Graduation Day, one of the best and the most unforgettable days in a student's life. This is the day where you can finally say, 'I made it,' because after all the stress and sleepless nights, we finally graduated.
Before, I always used to wished that I would finally graduate from high school. But I realized it wasn't easy at all, there were a lot of expense and pressure, especially knowing that college is already coming. It was really a challenging journey, but I made it through.
Graduation Practice
Of course, before graduation there were practice for several days. On the first day, I was very excited because we thought our graduation practice would be held in an air-conditioned place since it was at Hagnaya Beach Club. But it turned out we were wrong, it was extremely hot, no joke at all.
We just kept sharing our mini fans because the heat and humidity were really unbearable. It was so hot that we could hardly handle it. Good thing that if someone didn't have a mini fan, other who had one would kindly lend theirs. It really showed how helpful and supportive everyone was during that hot and exhausting day.
Graduation Day
Before our graduation day, I really struggled to sleep because I was so excited. I even cried that night because I couldn't fully accept the reality that we wouldn't be in the same school anymore next school year with my friends. It was such a bittersweet feeling.
On the day of my graduation, I woke up really early because the ceremony was scheduled around 12 noon, so I still had plenty of time to prepare. But just like I mentioned in my previous blog, I practiced doing makeup, but it didn’t really work out, I wasn’t able to learn it properly. So in the end, I just went for a simple makeup look instead.
We thought our graduation would start at 12 noon, so we arrived at the venue which is at the Hagnaya Beach Club around 11:30 AM. But it ended up starting very late. That was honestly the most frustrating part of our graduation day.
Can we all just stop normalizing ‘Filipino time’? It’s really not okay anymore.
We actually started around 1 PM. Since there were about 705 graduates, we had to stand for the processional and wait for everyone to finish lining up and walking down the aisle before the program officially continued. It was really painful, especially for our feet, because we were standing for almost 2 hours. It was exhausting, buut we had no choice but to endure it.
After the processional, the program finally started, but thhen I had to wait again for about 2 hours before I could go up the stage to receive my diploma and medals. It was longg, tiring, and honestly exhausting, but in the end, I still made it. I really made it. Thank you, Lord.
The funny part was during our valedictorian's speech. It was already around 7 PM and everyone was getting really hungry. While she was delivering her speech, parents and graduates started shouting, asking her to hurry up because we were all starving. It was honestly funny at that time, but we couldn’t really do anything because she also deserved that moment, she worked really hard for it.
Graduation Song
After her speech, the graduation song started. Our graduation songs were ‘Sarangola’ and ‘Won’t Last a Day Without You.’ Even during the first song, ‘Won’t Last a Day Without You,’ I already started crying because that was the moment it finally sank in, I had really graduated already.
By the time ‘Sarangola’ played, I couldn’t sing anymore because I was already crying so much. I really related to the lyrics, and that was the moment I started wishing high school didn’t have to end yet. I didn’t feel ready to leave all those memories behind.
Gifts
My classmates also gave me gifts, and I honestly didn’t expect it at all. Thank you so much, Bia, Pressy, and Euniq. I love you all so much, you will always have a special place in my heartt.
I honestly didn't expect to receive so many flowers, there were three of them, and I even had a hard time carrying them all. Thank you so much, Siah, Mama, and Ate April. I really appreciate it a lot.
After the program ended, our Grade 9 teacher approached us, and when was already crying because she said it was her last advisory class. She told us she was going to miss us and that we were already leaving her. In that moment, we all ended up crying too.
Celebration
After graduation, we went out to eat with my whole family to celebrate. It was such a fun and fulfilling moment, we were really happy and full. Even though we didn’t have much money, my parents still found a way to celebrate, even in a simple way. I really appreciate it. I love you, Mama and Papa.
There is nothing else I can do but thank my parents and the Lord, because I was able to reach this moment, I finally graduated from high school. Thank you for everything, and thank you for trusting me.