Mapúa MCL-SHS graduates toss caps at the 8th SHS Commencement Exercises

“Your biggest decisions in life won’t ever feel big, most of the time they will happen on an ordinary day—on a random Tuesday. You’re going about your life, when an opportunity appears out of nowhere, and a decision has to be made, and because it feels so ordinary you don’t realize that years later, you’ll look back and say, ‘that was the moment where everything changed.’”

He further reflected on his own journey, sharing that the defining moments of his life were not the milestones themselves but the simple decisions that surrounded them. He recounted that his life changed not because a scholarship examination existed, but because he chose to take it on an ordinary afternoon. Likewise, graduating was not the sole turning point in his career; rather, it was his willingness to continually say “yes” to opportunities that initially seemed ordinary. Through these reflections, Engr. Delos Reyes encouraged the graduates to embrace uncertainty, remain open to opportunities, and make courageous decisions even before they feel completely ready, emphasizing that these seemingly small choices often lead to life’s greatest transformations.

Echoing this message of perseverance, batch valedictorian Caelen Andrei V. Diesta, who graduated With Highest Honors from the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Strand, delivered the Speech of Gratitude by reflecting on the unseen struggles behind every graduate’s success. Looking back on their graduation photo session months before commencement, he shared that while the camera captured smiles, it could never capture “the blood, sweat, and tears” that brought each student to the stage. His reflection serves as a reminder that every achievement was shaped by resilience, sacrifice, and countless ordinary decisions to keep moving forward despite challenges.