(Speech delivered by Dr. Queena N. Lee-Chua during the AteneoGrade School commencement exercises on March 22, 2007 at the AHS covered courts.)

Fr. Ben Nebres, Fr. Joey Fermin, Fr. Felipe Unson, Mrs. Helen Amante, Mr. Jony Salvador, Mr. Joe Santos, Mrs. Tonette Angeles, administrators, parents, teachers, and students, good afternoon! It is an honor for me to be here.

I was just talking to Fr. Unson and Mr. Salvador, and I commented that I had never before seen so many graduates go up on stage to receive medals. I lost count at 150, and I estimate that perhaps 40% of you today received some sort of honor. And that is good.

When I received the invitation to talk to you graduates on this important day, I wondered what to say. Your parents and teachers are there to give you advice. They have guided you since birth, and now they are here to witness your triumph.

Sa bawa’t Atenista, isang karangalan ang maglingkod sa Diyos at sa bansa. Our theme this day is serving God and country. Nice words, but how can you, Grade Seven graduates, best do so? You are not yet in college. You are not yet eligible to vote. You cannot yet run for office.

But you all know that you can serve in little ways. You can volunteer for Tulong Dunong. You can cheer up a lonely friend. You can serve at Mass.

However, aside from all these, there is one more thing you can do. Once I had a student, who also studied in the Ateneo Grade School, like yourself. He was deeply idealistic and would often think of ways to help the country. He would visit me almost every day, and tell me his plans. He wanted to make money to provide scholarships. He wanted to run for office so he could reform the government. I told him, “You are a real Atenean—Magis! Ateneo has taught you well. Evidently you have the heart and spirit to care for others.”

But there was one problem. He was about to flunk out. So on one visit, when he asked me if I had any more suggestions to make the country better, I told him, “First, make sure you do not drop out. Study hard and improve yourself. That may be the best thing you can do now.”

So graduates, I tell you now, service to God and country starts with personal excellence.

Develop your potential. Be the best you can be—in home and in school. And this task is not easy. Read more