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Becoming an Atenean is a StrugglePaolo Cansino

Class Valedictorian Ateneo de Davao University, Class of 2013

  Father Joel E. a!ora of the "ociety of Jes#s, President of the Ateneo de Davao University$ %ost &everend&o'#lo (. Valles, D.D., Arch!isho) of the Archdiocese of Davao and this year*s Co''ence'ent ")ea+er$ Fr.(a!riel Jose . (onales of the "ociety of Jes#s, Acade'ic Vice President$ Al'a %onica A. de la Pa, E-ec#tiveDirector of a)/a U)lift'ent Fo#ndation, nc. this year*s reci)ient of the Drs. Jess and rinin de la Pa A/ard$ %r.%an#el %. ri, chair of the 4oard of r#stees$ 'e'!ers of the 4oard of r#stees$ distin#ished #ests,ad'inistrators, fac#lty of the five schools of the University, 'e'!ers of the Ateneo Co''#nity, fa'ily and friends,Class of 2013,Maayong buntag kanatong tanan! 

 

he last ti'e had a 'o'ent d#rin rad#ation as s/eet as this /as /hen rad#ated fro' +inderarten also as valedictorian$ !ac+ then 'e'oried 'y s)eech /hich /as /ritten !y 'y 'other. 4ac+ then, #ess, s)o+efro' the 'ind, not fro' the heart. 5oo+in !ac+ on the e-)eriences have had, a' )ro#d to say that 'y Jes#ited#cation has transfor'ed 'e. have !een to#ched !y natian val#es. %y for'ation in the Ateneo 6ay is 7#iterand in the sense that fo#r years ao, no!ody, even 'yself, /o#ld have e-)ected that /o#ld !e a!le to develo) a)assion for +no/lede and service. 4#t, loo+in f#rther, !elieve that 'y life, es)ecially in collee, /as a life of str#le. as+ed to deliver the valedictory s)eech in !ehalf and for the rad#atin class, feel that have to s)ea+ thelan#ae of o#r co''on e-)erience, and in so doin 'ay !e a!le to s)ea+ fro' the heart. 6hat !inds #s, !elieve,is the e-)erience of str#le the e-)erience of fihtin aainst forces that )revent #s fro' !eco'in a#thentic

 Ateneans.

he story of o#r collee life can !e read fro' the lens of str#le. Fro' the !einnin of o#r collee life #ntilthis very 'o'ent, /e carry /ith #s o#r individ#al and shared narratives of str#le. "o'e failed in their first atte')tat the entrance e-a'ination /hile so'e had to enroll /ith )ro!ationary stat#s. "#rvivin collee /as another str#le. Passin the s#!8ects /as hard, earnin acade'ic and s)ecial a/ards /as harder, and findin the'otivation to contin#e st#dyin des)ite fail#res and delayed rad#ation /as )erha)s the hardest. thers have fo#hte-traordinary !attles. "o'e of #s had to earn or /or+ as st#dent assistants to !e a!le to contin#e and 'anae thecosts of schoolin$ yo#n )arents had to ta+e care of their child at niht /hile )re)arin for e-a's$ those /ith health)ro!le's had to end#re )hysical )ain /hile those /ho e-)erienced death in the fa'ily had to face life des)ite theloss of a loved one. 6e str#led to !e here. 4#t, in the reater sche'e of thins, this s)ecial 'o'ent is not only arit#aliation of an acade'ic victory, !#t also of a victory for'ed and transfor'ed the Ateneo 6ay. First, /e /erecalled to !e acade'ically e-cellent. hose /ho #nder)erfor'ed in hih school realied the !ea#ty of st#dyin hardand discoverin and develo)in o#r )otentials. "econd, /e /ere called to !e involved in society. All of #s /ere a!leto i''erse o#rselves in co''#nities, to#chin the lives of )eo)les thro#h o#r )ro8ects and o#treach )rora's. 6edid research and created innovative technoloies /hich co#raeo#sly addressed iss#es in society, es)ecially in%indanao. 6e sa/ the )#r)ose of h#'an reason, that is, to #se it in the i')rove'ent of )eo)les* lives. And, third, /e/ere to#ched !y o#r faith and realied that reason has to !e infor'ed !y faith. ndeed, !eco'in an Atenean is a)rocess of str#le to transfor' o#rselves and to see o#rselves as essentially connected to other )eo)les. #r rad#ation today is a 8#!ilation of o#r tri#')h over fo#r or 'ore years of str#le. 6e share this 'o'ent of 8oy /itho#r fa'ily, friends, teachers and the entire Ateneo co''#nity /ho have !een )art of o#r victory.

 

9o/ever, 'y dear friends, as the )ast valedictorians /o#ld say, !ein an Atenean does not end inrad#ation. 6e are invited to reflect on ho/ /e can !eco'e a#thentic Ateneans as /e o into the /orld of /or+ and)#rs#e o#r drea's. /ant to offer t/o )oints for reflection. First, to be an Atenean is a process, a never-endingprocess of becoming. 6e do not !eco'e a#thentic Ateneans si')ly /hen /e !ra to o#r office'ates that /erad#ated fro' Ateneo de Davao, /hen /e /ear )ride shirts and attend al#'ni ho'eco'ins. :either do /e!eco'e real Ateneans !y 'erely occ#)yin )ositions of )o/er and )restie in society. o !e an Atenean, !elieve, isa life )ro8ect, so'ethin that /e have to constantly /or+ for in o#r daily lives. 6e !eco'e Ateneans /hen /e do /ellin /or+, i')rove o#r /or+ each day, and re'ain honest and h#'!le. #r f#t#re enineers and scientists !eco'e

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 Ateneans not only /hen they create cost;efficient sol#tions and technoloies !#t also /hen they )ro'ote s#staina!ledevelo)'ent, environ'ent;friendly technoloies and scientific advance'ents that res)ect the e'!eddedness andidentities of )eo)les. F#t#re )oliticians, la/yers and civil servants !eco'e Ateneans not only /hen they 'aster thescience of overnance, the !#rea#cracy and the la/ !#t also /hen they see their )ositions of )o/er as 'eans tofoster dialo#e a'on different )eo)les, 'a+e 8#stice 'ore accessi!le to the )oor and 'arinalied, and /hen theyresha)e o#r social, )olitical, and econo'ic instit#tions and syste's to/ards 'a+in the' 'ore h#'ane and 8#st.F#t#re !#siness)ersons !eco'e Ateneans not only /hen they create /ealth !#t also /hen they reconie that the

econo'ic order and the entire e-)erience of /or+ '#st not alienate )eo)les !#t instead ena!le the', es)ecially the)oor, to 'a+e free choices and live a ha))y and decent life. :ot everyone 'ay !e in aree'ent /ith 'y )ro)ositions,!#t, at the very least, ho)e that /e are in aree'ent that !ein an Atenean is a stat#s to !e earned, so'ethin thatcan !e lost /hen /e t#rn a/ay fro' o#r 'oral o!liation to !eco'e )ersons for others.

9o/ do /e e-actly reconcile )ersonal and collective interest, to !eco'e )ersons for others, to !eco'e tr#ly Ateneans< his leads 'e to 'y second )oint. !elieve that /e need to !e constantly a/are that /e are in astr#le$ that !ein an Atenean is a str#le, )artic#larly in the conte-t of fihtin aainst the te')tations of a)athy,indifference, corr#)tion and selfishness. !elieve that /e can develo) s#ch conscio#sness /hen /e reconie the)ri'ordial connections !et/een others and o#rselves. 6e can develo) s#ch conscio#sness /hen /e e')athie/ith the str#le of other )eo)les, /ho sho#ld say are victi's of social in8#stice, s#ch as the indieno#s )eo)les/ho str#le aainst the destr#ction of their land and the environ'ent, the )oor /ho are de)rived of e7#al access to

/ealth and o))ort#nities, a'on others. n this /ay, their str#le can )otentially !eco'e o#r o/n, leadin #s toe-)erience a sense of dist#r!ance, 'ore s)ecifically 'oral dist#r!ance. he e-)erience of !ein dist#r!ed /illho)ef#lly )#sh #s to res)ond concretely to a 'oral de'and. ne of these is to find /ays !y /hich )eo)les* clai'sfor 8#stice are heard and res)onded to !y the a))ro)riate a#thorities. Ulti'ately, the desire is to i')rove o#r sit#ationand 'ove closer to the ideal )olity and h#'an society to#ched !y faith and /here social 8#stice and the co''onood rein s#)re'e. 6ith this, !elieve, /e !eco'e a#thentic Ateneans.

 

6ith faith in (od and a sense of co''#nity, ho)e that /e all find strenth and !ea#ty in the str#le. Asrad#ates of the Ateneo de Davao University, ho)e that /e #nderstand the str#le in the liht of #s !ein sui generis, ho)in that /e dedicate o#r eneries for the develo)'ent of %indanao and the co#ntry. %ay /e findins)iration in o#r ne/ Po)e, Po)e Francis, a Jes#it, /ho has lived a life of si')licity and has str#led to defend the)oor and 'arinalied in Arentina and /ho has to !rin the str#le of the )oor to the lo!al conte-t. ho)e that o#r 

class'ates and friends, o#r !atch'ates, /ho cannot !e /ith #s in this 'o'ent of cele!ration, find strenth and faithto contin#e /ith the str#le. %ay o#r )arents, teachers and 'e'!ers of the Ateneo co''#nity )ray that /e, class of 2013, 'ay !e a!le to !eco'e a#thentic Ateneans.

 

4efore end, allo/ 'e to than+ the )eo)le /ho hel)ed 'e s#cceed in the str#le thro#ho#t collee. o 'yteachers in the Philoso)hy De)art'ent and 'ost es)ecially in the Political "cience and 9istory De)art'ent, than+yo# for the e-cellent instr#ction$ to 'y class'ates and friends, than+ yo# for the friendshi) and 'eaninf#l 8o#rney$friends fro' the "C, no/ Arr#)e ffice for "ocial For'ation, "A%APU5A, "A%A9A: and the Ateneo De!ateVarsity, and the 'any )eo)le and ro#)s have shared 'y collee life /ith, 'y heartfelt ratit#de for the years of learnin and service$ to the Ateneo Co''#nity=to the ad'inistration, than+ yo# for tr#stin and s#))ortin 'yendeavors es)ecially /ith de!atin and /ith the /ritin of the "A%A9A: Constit#tion, and to the #ards andaency;!ased /or+ers /ho in their o/n /ays have contri!#ted to the s#ccess of all o#r activities in ca')#s. o 'y

fa'ily 'y si!lins Carlo, Anna and ristal and to 'y 'other, Felicitas, and to Jennifer than+ yo# for all yo#r loveand s#))ort. And, to 'y father Pa#lino /ho )assed a/ay t/o 'onths ao and is no/ /ith o#r (od the Father,than+ yo# and love yo#.

 

Daghang Salamat ug maayong buntag kanatong tanan!