Hi everyone! How are you? I’m really happy you’re here to read my blog on a recollection I facilitated last June 2, 2023, Friday, at Batangas Eastern Colleges (BEC) gymnasium, 8:00 am to 11:00 am.
Ms. Karen, the Guidance Coordinator of BEC, messaged my Facebook page and inquired about my services. She saw my post about ICT-ED Lipa’s recollection, inviting me as a resource speaker for their graduating batch’s recollection. She expressed the students’ doubts about entering the workforce and they needed to hear inspiring words from me.
The theme was simple, Self-Affirmation: Believing In Oneself, and it honestly broke my heart a bit because this means they are having a hard time giving themselves positive affirmations. Peterson (2023) explained that graduating can trigger a lot of anxiety and even depression when students go through this life transition.
“Experiencing depression & anxiety in this important time of your life is a natural part of development. Completing college is both exciting and anxiety-provoking,” Peterson said.
At the same time, I felt nostalgic. I remember when I sat inside De La Salle Lipa’s Sentrum wearing an oversized graduating gown and a loose cap that kept falling on my forehead, the pounding of my heart and the throbbing of my feet from wearing heels. I felt anxious. Amidst thousands of students were thousands of dreams ready to be actualized and mine was still lost in hazy daydreams.
Because of my compassion for the students and nostalgia, I didn’t hesitate to accept Ms. Karen’s invitation. Her belief in me encouraged me to deliver a talk that not only emphasizes the importance of self-affirmations but also opens a deep discussion as to why we can’t affirm ourselves in the first place. This includes practicing valuable skills that they can take with them anywhere. Excited, I embarked on my journey from Lipa City to San Juan, Batangas.
On the day
But then a funny moment happened to me during the van ride. We were more than halfway to our destination, which is Jollibee San Juan branch, when a deafening sound went off. Everybody in the van jerked up to locate the loud alarm. Was it the door? Was it the engine? Was it somehow a tripped wire?
Nope. It was my fault. The source was the self-defense alarm attached to my bag. It took me a second to grasp what actually happened. The alarm was attached to the straps of my bag, which belonged to my sister, and since she travels to Manila a lot, she bought a protective device. The alarm has a pin that you can pull that would emit an ear-splitting sound. Due to my adjustments in my seat, somehow the pin got plucked out of its silent place (and was nowhere to be found.)
And so, with blood flushing up my cheeks, I politely asked the driver to park on the side so I could get rid of the alarm. Thankfully, two men and a vendor came to my help, getting rid of the noise by shaking the alarm. Peace was restored once again and I opened the van door when I was greeted by piercing eyes. I know, I’m really sorry guys for disturbing your sleep.
The lady beside me gave me a good laugh after saying she lost her sleepiness after the incident. The driver was kind enough to joke about it with me. Flustered, I was sweating in my seat but I pulled myself together until we reached Jollibee.
Meeting the BEC students
Interestingly, I was able to use my morning incident as an icebreaker and lesson in our discussion. They laughed with me as I recount the embarrassing memory. Then we proceeded with reflecting on Melody Beattie’s Honor The Beginning, a deep breathing exercise, and the discussion proper.
Only when I was eating lunch with Ms. Karen and Ms. Lindsay, a fellow Guidance Coordinator, did they reveal to me the reality of these students.
They took night classes from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Most of them were working students, clocking in as service crews in the morning and then entering the campus at night. Some were never expected to graduate college and some worked for their own education. These are the breadwinners of lower-income families and some are just living the average Filipino life.
That’s why Ms. Lindsay was surprised to see them so participative and even embracing the deep breathing exercise. A student shared, “Sa pagsimpleng paghinga pala, marerelieve yung stress ko.”
Additionally, I discussed stress management and emotional regulation to support their self-affirmations. How can you affirm yourself when you’re burnout and lacks knowledge of regulating your emotions?
The most important basic skill is to widen the gap between the stressor hijacking your nervous system and your response. We learned this in two ways: small self-care activities and movement, aka dancing crazily to Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off.
Finally, they wrote a letter to themselves which includes the phrase, “I want to believe that I am…” A few students shared the contents of their personal letters, becoming emotional as they said the words, “I’m proud of you.” That was my cue to encourage the crowd to say self-affirmations. 256 students joined me in saying these affirmations:
I am strong.
I am loved.
I am capable.
I am beautiful.
I am blessed.
I am worth it!
The entire gymnasium became a safe space to cry, laugh, and destress. I felt emotional as I said my closing remarks. I became vulnerable to them and so they followed. It was an unforgettable milestone for me as a mental health speaker. Tomorrow, they will be marching the aisle of their campus with graduation gowns and caps. I wish them all the best and I send my love and prayers to their life onwards.
What was your graduation ceremony like? Any words of advice to newly graduates?
ᴬˡˡ ᵖʰᵒᵗᵒˢ ᵃʳᵉ ᵐⁱⁿᵉ ᵘⁿˡᵉˢˢ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳʷⁱˢᵉ ˢᵗᵃᵗᵉᵈ.
