Welcome For Various “Anothers”

(This is the welcome address delivered by Lara Ginella Fontanilla in her Commencement Exercises at Little Merry Hearts Montessori Center, March 30, 2011.)

As each pair of eyes of the witnesses of today’s event radiates with gleeful excitement and a bit of sadness, I can say that this occasion is indeed momentous. And that sight in each pair of eyes deserves a warmest salutation.

Therefore, beloved parents, caring faculty and staff, dear classmates, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 25th Commencement Exercises of the school that emerges in relentless pursuit of excellence, our school, Little Merry Hearts Montessori Center.

Welcoming you today is not as easy as ABC. Welcoming you today is not merely a word of invitation. In reality, welcoming you today is tantamount to the realization that we are being welcomed to the next transition of our lives, not only our parents, not only the faculty and staff, but also us, classmates.

Welcome beloved parents, for you will be enduring another phase of sacrifice in order to provide us, your children, better future.

Welcome adored faculty and staff, for again, you will be honing another group of pupils to become better member of the society, just like what you did to us.

Welcome classmates, for we will be venturing another different journey; a journey that leads to better life. Though it may sound a cliché, but truly, this day does not mark the end; it marks the beginning.

Now that everybody is already welcomed, I hope that we are not threatened because nothing really is to be threatened about. What we just need to succeed is to put everything in the equation. God plus parents multiplied by the wisdom and values imparted by our teachers minus negative behaviors equals SUCCESS.

If we can able to solve the equation I can boastfully say that as we look to the eyes of the people in our next commencement exercises, the same bit of sadness and gleeful excitement radiate from them; making the event momentous.

Good day and Godspeed to all of us!