And the excitement...

...of the waiting game approaches fever-pitch high!
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by PAM

One of the most awaited parts, if not the MOST awaited part, of that colorful phase in one's life - College Life - is Graduation Day.  It is the culmination of all things great, wonderful and unforgettable in the last four to six years! And yet, the equally abominable

challenges that push one to his/her limit can also be the reason why graduation is a 

Simulating the processional...

special occasion.  To many, it is the apex of self-discovery and the affirmation of one's many possibilities whether personally or professionally.  And so, in an Academic Institution, Graduation Day is given special attention.  As the Graduating Class is sent off to embark to a new journey, they are also armed with a degree - a testimony of their achievement and preparedness to take on the "real word".  They are given a certificate, a diploma, that declares as much to the world.  As such, the occasion is often called "Solemn Investiture Program".   

The Solemn Investiture calls for all officials, faculty members and all other stakeholders of the Institution to come together to ensure that the occasion is as special as possible to the Graduating Class. One such effort is the conduct of graduation rehearsals so that members of the Graduating Class will not be lost in the ceremony.
    

...trying to capture the solemnity of the actual ceremony
during the rehearsals.

Ah, it's so grand - the feeling is!  I felt the silent excitement!  I felt the quiet anticipation

The last few days of holding on
to the 'goofiness' of youth...

of what lies ahead... and the mixed emotions of having to peek at what is waiting for them beyond the four walls of the University.  The indescribable sweetness of seeing one's dearest dream so far become a reality mixed with the anxiety of having to start all over again soon... this time, without the comforting assurance of support that only deep friendship, forged throughout college life, can provide - I felt all that.  The mix emotions was so palpable, it thickens the air... until the eyes get blinded by the condensation of all the emotions as the rehearsals progressed. Still, they seemed to resolve to toughen their hearts, they braced their emotions with acquired maturity, and they cloak emotional vulnerability with the resilience borne out of the 'goofiness of youth'.   

...but they marched on, propelled by aspirations and hope
for great things ahead!

As for me, while we do this every year, and I have been a part of it for the past six years, this year, it is different. Our Class of 2019 is very special to me. There have been many wonderful experiences with them all throughout their stay, in which I benefited from their kindness, humility and love. Therefore, I braced my own sinking heart with the pride of seeing them march out to their success, as I harbored the numbing feeling of loss, and the deep anguish of not knowing when will I be seeing them all again. It is absolutely heartbreaking!  And yet, I am comforted by the fact that, indeed, "only love can break a heart".  I will live.   

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Image credit:  I own all photos, which are all taken at the Quadricentennial Pavilion of the University of Santo Tomas during the Faculty of Engineering Solemn Investiture Rehearsals.

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