XAVERIAN'S CORNER

2007 HS Graduation Welcoming Address
Thompson Tang (H4D), Golden Jubilee Batch Xavier Awardee

Posted Thursday, 12-Apr-2007 8:08 AM

      Fr. Johnny Go, S.J., our School Director, Fr. Ismael Zuluoaga, S.J., Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Wellington Tong, our guest speaker, Jesuit priests and brothers, Mrs. Jane Cacacho, our High School Principal, beloved parents, dear formators and staff, guests and fellow graduates, good afternoon!

      It is my honor to welcome you all to our Graduation Ceremonies today!

      As you all know, this batch has the distinction of graduating on Xavier School’s Jubilee Year. From the time of its launching in June to the highlights in December and the fair in February, we have been inundated with expressions such as “Ignite Xavier”, “Golden Choice” and “Golden Renaissance.” There was so much emphasis on the Jubilee Year and its milestone hallmark, gold.

      It has been identified with glory and excellence. The most famous and prestigious honors are memorialized in gold statuettes and commemorative coins. Athletes refuse to settle for the Olympic silver medal. Across three thousand years of history, when civilizations flourished and empires rose, one reads about the Golden Age of this country and the Golden Era of that nation.

      This Golden Year of Xavier has been a blessing on us but it has also been a burden for us to match the grand preparations and the glorious tradition with spectacular feats of excellence. Yet our thirteen years of Xavier education has prepared us for this momentous event. And what could be a better metaphor to describe us, who are considered as precious and priceless individuals than gold?

      Kung titignan natin, tila isang pangkaraniwang bato lamang ang ginto sa simula, magaspang at walang hugis. Palagay ko, ganoon din tayo nang pumasok tayo sa paaralang ito, walang kamuang-muang sa mga katotohanan ng buhay, at masaya na sa kung anuman ang ginagawa natin noon.

      Sa isang batong walang hugis nagsisimula ang paggawa ng ginto. Masusing sinusuri ang nilalaman ng bato, katulad ng pagsusuri ng ating mga guro sa atin upang malaman kung anong mga bahagi ng ating pagkatao ang kailangang tanggalin, baguhin at hulmahin.

       回首十三年的光启生活，有努力的汗水，有奋斗的艰辛，有失败的泪水，也有成功的喜悦，点点滴滴尽在心头。十三年的砺练，十三年的打造，我们也日趋成熟，由一个懵懂的少年变成了有理想，有抱负的青年。人生不可能一帆风顺，迎接我们的有挫折，有考验也会有挑战，然而， “ 真金不怕火炼 ”—— 卓越超凡的光启教育已将我们冶炼成金，为我们今后的生活奠定了坚实的基础。光启精神已经深深烙印在我们心中，相信在今后的人生道路上，无论我们遇到什么困难，无论我们走到哪里，光启精神将永远是我们的指航灯，引航帆，指引我们从容面对，勇往直前。

      Like gold, we were also tested under fire for the last thirteen years. We were subject to trials and challenges in order for us to reveal the luster of our character. And we are taught how to spend time alone and reflect to solidify our personhood as we lay our experiences side-by-side with reflection.

      And what comes out is a brilliant, malleable and invaluable mineral. Brilliant because we can allow our personality to shine in any field we choose to pursue, be it in the academe, law, business or medicine. Malleable since we can easily adapt to the changing winds of time and fortune. And invaluable because the character we have developed and the wisdom we have gained from our experiences here in Xavier School can neither be pegged nor purchased at any price.

      In hindsight, the school could have formed us the way an alchemist turns an ordinary metal into gold: all glitz and gloss. But Xavier School , to which we will forever be grateful, believed in forming us from within that we may develop a stronger sense of self to withstand the brutal forces that lurk in life.

       毕业的钟声敲响了，让我们像欢呼新年一样高声呐喊，带着学校的祝福，老师的期盼，家长的叮咛，朋友的心愿，买向我们人生的另一个阶段，让我们把光启精神带到社会的每一个角落，用实际行动回报母校，为母校增光添彩，做个名副其实的光启人。

      As we leave the walls of Xavier School today, as we continue to journey through life, let us remember what we learned here in Xavier School: true gold fears no fire . Indeed, we are called to shine like gold and bear witness to the ideals of our school.

      Tunay na sa apoy nasusukat ang ginto. At ngayon, matapos ang ilang taong pagdadalisay, wala tayong dapat ikatakot. Sa araw na ito ng kagalakan para sa atin at sa ating mga magulang, ipinagdiriwang natin hindi lamang ang isang Ginintuang Hubileyo para ating paaralan kundi ang isang daan tungo sa katuparan ng mga ginintuang pangarap ng ating mga magulang.

      Ang tunay na ginto ay hindi matutunaw ng anumang apoy. Matapos nating tanggapin ang mga katibayan ng ating pagtatapos, iniiwan sa atin ngayon ang isang tawag at hamon:

      Pagningasin ang iyong liwanag!

       让你的心灵圣火燃烧吧。

      Ignite your light!

      Thank you very much and good afternoon!

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