Graduation newsfeed

April 14, 2018 Educator's Corner Opinion

Graduation posts flooded on my newsfeed lately, every gesture of graduates were being documented and posted on face book. It is overwhelming how joyful the parents are and families gathered to witness the graduation of their child, niece, nephews, and relatives, all of this becomes a memory captured in one photo. Like me, I saw netizen near and far exultant congratulating every graduation post passing by their newsfeed including their proud loving parents, principal and teachers. It’s like everybody is celebrating for the success of each graduates, it shows that education plays a great role in the life of everyone all through the life, wherein getting proper education is very necessary to get success and happy life just like food is necessary for healthy body.
Graduation is not the same from other activities we encounter in our lives, the involvement, joy and excitement is different. Every step you walk towards the platform, there is a story worth telling experiences. I have read various experiences posted in social media by different graduates who shared their struggles, hardship and efforts before achieving their goals. One of the examples was the story of Mailyn Esquelito Akoy from Takurong, Sultan Kudarat who went viral entitled, “Ako? “Papa ko, Kargador.” Every time I read her post, I cannot hold back the flow of the tears. She shared her thoughts and challenges about her life experienced of being a student which garnered thousands of shares, comments and likes because of her inspiring story and worth emulating character. Now that she was able to finish her bachelor’s degree, she decided to share it in social media that might inspire others, and maybe to encourage both children and parents. Her story is full of lesson; overcoming obstacles, reaching goals, and leading lives rich with trials, opportunities and successes. As she mentioned, if you really want to finish your studies, it needs effort; you should help yourself, and help your parents who are working hard just to give your needs. She also advice students who can afford higher education not to waste the time and money of their parents or someone supporting them because there are many interested students like her who wants to attend higher education but they lack financial support, however, because of her willpower and perseverance she was able to succeed which she also encourage the unprivileged not to lost faith but aim high with strong determination, hard work and the spark of an achiever inside especially now that the current administration education program offers free tuition to all state universities and colleges (SUCs) around the country to take full advantage of it.
Graduation is one of the anticipating ceremonies that people always looking forward, especially parents whose children are studying, that’s why when it is time of their children to graduate you can see on their faces the emotion of great delight or happiness. One time, I was happy smiling at one flashback photo of a facebook friend past through my newsfeed, on the photo is the elementary graduation of her daughter years ago, and the other photo is the resent graduation in senior high school with a caption; “Congratulations anak! You are now a SHS graduate and ready to enter college life. I and the rest of our family are very proud of you and your accomplishments.  I know that you can do it and continue reaching your dreams. Good luck in your next adventures.” The message is full of encouragement. With the same social feedback, friends were flabbergasted with joy congratulating for the success of a daughter and parent.
Today’s students are accessing Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other such social networking sites to connect and share information with those around them. I hope that these graduation posts will be useful to inspire them, encourage them to study hard and contemplate that one day they will be like them proud wearing their toga, and develop a conviction in their mind that, if somebody can do it, they can do it too, even better. With that in mind, it is a challenge to define their success and live up to their own measures with passion and commitment. If others see them as having succeeded, the next generation will follow suit. ANA MARIE G. DIWAS