One of the quotes I try to live by says, and I quote: ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.’ And looking back at our journey as graduates, I realized how true those words really are. Because in life, what truly matters is not how many times we succeed or fail, but our willingness to keep moving forward no matter what happens.

To our respected School President, Mr. Emmanuel A. Fiel, to our distinguished Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Flordeliza Navarette, the members of the Board of Trustees, administrators, deans, faculty members, staff, parents, families, friends, and most especially, my fellow graduates of Class 2026, good afternoon.

Today is more than just a graduation ceremony.

Today is the living proof that prayers were answered, sacrifices were worth it, and dreams survived.

Before anything else, I want everyone in this room to pause for a moment. Look around you. Look at the people beside you. Behind every toga, every medal, and every smile is a story that nobody fully saw. Some fought silent battles. Some cried in private. Some almost gave up. Yet despite everything, we are all here today.

And that alone is already a victory.

If someone told the younger version of me that one day I would stand on this stage as your class valedictorian, I honestly would not have believed them. Growing up, I was never the “gifted” student. In elementary school, I was more interested in recess and friends than grades and academics. While other students excelled, I struggled with simple lessons.

When I entered high school at Isabel National Comprehensive School, reality humbled me. I realized how far behind I was academically. I remember feeling lost and insecure. I got separated from my elementary classmates. And it really bothered me. They were all in one section while I was in a different section.

I never imagined—that moment would become a major turning point in my life. I promised myself that I would one day reunite with my elementary classmates in the same section, and I used that heartbreak as motivation to prove I deserved to stand beside them again.

For the first time, I pushed myself to study harder. I stayed up late. I participated in class. I learned things I once thought were impossible for me to understand. I didn’t stop. I didn’t falter.

Slowly, I began hearing people call me “brayt” or “smart.”

And then, I received my very first medal as an honor student when I was in Grade 7.

That moment changed my life. Because for the first time, I felt that maybe I was capable of becoming someone my family could truly be proud of.

And in Grade 8, one of the best things that ever happened to me was finally getting transferred to the first section. Not only was I reunited with my old friends, but I also found the people who would eventually become my best friends for life—Roselyn Francisco, Lenzel Dawn Enghug, and Cristine Marie Ele. They became part of my growth, my struggles, and some of the happiest memories of my high school journey.

Then the pandemic changed everything. I struggled deeply as anxiety took over and we were forced into a distant, unfamiliar way of learning that tested our strength. We never got to walk on stage for our Grade 10 graduation, and many of us were heartbroken, quietly carrying that disappointment while still moving forward.

But despite all of that, we continued showing up. We still chose to continue fighting for our dreams.

And that is courage.

Eventually, my journey led me to Western Leyte College.

As someone who came from public schools, entering a private institution was not easy financially. I carried guilt knowing how hard my parents worked just to support my education.

So, I became a working student in this very institution.

Working while studying changed me completely.

There were days when exhaustion felt unbearable.

While others could go home and rest, my responsibilities continued long after classes ended. There were nights when I studied while physically tired and emotionally drained. There were moments when I questioned whether I was truly capable of reaching my dreams. I remember failing a major exam during my first year in college. I cried because I thought my dreams were slowly falling apart.

But life taught me something important: Failure does not mean you are incapable. It simply means you are still growing.

I realized I was not the smartest person in every room. There will always be people more talented than us. And I learned that hard work can bring you places talent alone cannot.

You’re probably thinking that because I am a Summa Cum Laude, I excel in everything. But the harsh reality is—no. I am just like everybody else. I struggle with memory retention, I stutter when (asked) to speak in front of the class, I cry because of overwhelming deadlines, and I am definitely not good at arts. I overthink a lot, I experience self-doubt more often than people realize, I get anxious about failing, and there were many moments when I questioned whether I was truly good enough to be standing where I am today. Behind every achievement was also a person who got tired, afraid, pressured, and uncertain. There were moments when I almost allowed the opinions of others to define my worth—especially when people looked down on our course as if being a business student was something less important. I would be lying if I said those words never affected me, because there were times when I doubted myself and questioned whether I was truly capable of achieving something meaningful.

But instead of letting those judgments break me, I used them as motivation to strive harder and prove them wrong. I pushed myself to succeed not only for my dreams, but also to show that being a business student is worth something—that our course deserves respect, recognition, and pride. And along the way, I realized something important: respect should never be selective based on a person’s course, title, or profession. Every field carries its own purpose, sacrifices, and value. No dream is greater or smaller than another when it is pursued with passion, integrity, and hard work.

That’s why I studied for my exams relentlessly and pushed myself to my limits while balancing my duties at the Dean’s Office. As time went on, I found myself seeking more academic validation, and that desire pushed me to work even harder. There were days when exhaustion weighed heavily on me, but I kept going anyway because whenever I felt like giving up, I would remember the faces of the people who sacrificed, believed in me, and became the very reason why I am standing here today.

I continued believing even when life gave me many reasons to stop.

And standing here today, I can proudly say that every sacrifice was worth it.

But truthfully, none of us reached this moment alone.

To all the parents, teachers, mentors, friends, relatives, classmates, and every person who believed in us even during the moments we doubted ourselves—thank you.

Thank you for your patience.
For your prayers.
For your sacrifices.

Thank you for believing in us when we were still learning how to believe in ourselves.

Because of your support, we survived the hardest days of our lives. Because of your encouragement, we found strength during moments of weakness. Because someone chose to trust us, we learned to keep moving forward despite the struggles happening inside and outside the classroom.

And now, allow me to speak to the two people who became the foundation of my entire journey—my parents.

Mama. Papa. (May I ask both of you to please stand for a moment so I may honor and recognize the two people who made all of this possible.)

Everything I am today began with your sacrifices.

My Papa may have lived with a disability, but he never let it stop him from fighting for our dreams. Despite pain and struggles, he worked hard so his children could finish college and have a better future. His disability never defined him—his love, courage, and sacrifices as a father did. Everything I am today is rooted in the strength he quietly carried for our family.

And my Mama—she spent most of her life working as a restaurant cook, tirelessly enduring long hours, exhaustion, heat, and sacrifice just to make sure we could continue studying and chasing our dreams. While many people were already resting at night, she was still working, carrying the weight of our family on her shoulders just so we would never have to give up on our education. Because of your sacrifices, three of your children now hold college diplomas. And today, I stand before you as the first one in our family to graduate with Latin honors.

Ma, Pa, this achievement is not mine alone—it is yours. Every medal and recognition reflects your sacrifices. I hope you see that all your hardships were worth it.

I hope today you realize that your sacrifices created a future your children once only dreamed of.

To my Ate Lindy, thank you so much for supporting me financially and for sacrificing so much for our family. To my Ate Ecil, thank you for your love, support, and for always believing in me. And to my brothers, Saloy and Zaldy, thank you for being part of my strength and inspiration throughout this journey. Puhon puhon, si Kuya napud ninyo ang mutabang nila Mama ug Papa.

And to all the parents and guardians who are here today: your sacrifices matter more than words can ever explain. Your children are here today because you chose to keep fighting for them even when life was difficult.

I would also like to take this chance to give thanks to some of the people who became a significant part of who I am today.

To my COAB Dean’s Office family, thank you for being my second home. To Sir Manoy, thank you for accepting me. And to Sir Ferdz, our beloved father in the office, thank you for treating us, your three angels, not just as working students, but as family. We became your children you never saw as burden. Salamat kaayu sir sa imong pagkamaayo na taw. You taught us to stay grounded and to never be defined by how other people see us. We became strong in those years as working student because of your leadership. You became the bridge that connects us to opportunities we thought were impossible for us. Sir, ako ning itake na opportunity para magpasalamat ug dako sa unconditional love and tanan tabang na imong gihatag namo. Salamat kaayu sir sa imong efforts para matarong ang system sa atong department. Wala mana kaayu na appreciate sa mga taw, pero usa mi sir sa naka witness kung unsa ka kadedicated sa imong trabaho ug sa imong love for teaching. You have touched so many lives sir. And we owe you who we are today. May you never forget sir how much we love you and we will surely carry everything you taught us beyond the corners of our office. Again, salamat sir! Kahibalo ko na proud kaayu ka namong tulo sir.

To Ma’am Reya and Ma’am Chabei as well, thank you for the laughter, comfort, and beautiful memories that made even our busiest days lighter. Usa sad mo sa mga taw maam nga naghatag ug color sa atung office. Maam Reya graduate nako! Papicture ta unya maam kay mingawon baya ka nako.

Special mention also to our ate Chacha Rufin nga away awayon ra namo sa office HAHAHAHHHA We love you te and we will surely miss the times we spent together in the office bisan kada gabii rata magkitaay kay daig pa ang mother of 10 sa kakugihan mutrabaho.

To Sir John, thank you for always believing in my potential. From my very first year, you never doubted what I was capable of becoming.

To my best friends in the office, Roth and Aryan, thank you for becoming part of my life. We witnessed each other’s struggles, victories, and growth throughout this journey, and I honestly would not have survived life as a working student without both of you. Thank you for accepting the real me and for staying beside me through every high and low.

To my circle—Justine, Breechie, Sean, and most especially my sister-for-life, Ate Angelica—thank you for being my safe place throughout this journey. Te, thank you for always standing up for me and defending my name even in silence. Your love, support, and presence gave me strength during moments when I felt lost and exhausted.

To my Kap Arriane Squad—Ekang (my predecessor as class valedictorian), Jakey, Junette, Hanna, and Monje—thank you for making my college life memorable. As a working student, I had limited chances to build friendships, but you became my family. The laughter, chismis, and memories made my journey lighter, happier, and complete.

And for the next and final part of my speech:
To my fellow graduates, before anything else, I want all of you to do something for yourselves.

Please tap your left shoulder.
Go ahead. Tap your left shoulder.
That is for you.
That is for the version of yourself who almost gave up but still chose to continue.

That is for the nights you cried silently.
For the days you questioned your worth.
For the moments you were mentally, emotionally, and financially exhausted.
For the times family problems, heartbreaks, anxiety, pressure, or personal battles nearly broke you.

And yet…

You still showed up.
You still complied with whatever was demanded of you.
You still fought battles nobody knew about.

And because you did not give up, today you are wearing that toga.
You are sitting beside the people who witnessed your growth.
You are finally seeing the reward for every sacrifice you made.

Please never forget that.

Sometimes we become so focused on reaching the finish line that we forget to appreciate ourselves for surviving the journey.

I want you all to realize that your story did not end in failure.
Your story did not end in fear.
Your story did not end in struggle.

Your story led you here.

And as we leave Western Leyte College, may we carry not only our diplomas, but also the lessons that hardship taught us:
to stay humble,
to remain kind,
to keep fighting,
and to never stop believing in ourselves even when life becomes difficult.

The world ahead of us will not always be easy. There will still be rejections, failures, heartbreaks, and uncertainty.

But if we survived everything it took to reach this moment, then there is absolutely nothing we cannot overcome.

My fellow graduates, never be ashamed of how long your journey took.

Some dreams take time because they are built through sacrifice.

And the strongest people are not those who never failed—
they are the people who kept going despite every reason to stop.

And today, I stand before you as a testament that we never truly know what life has — (in store) for us. The dreams we once thought were impossible can eventually become a reality.

Congratulations, Class of 2026.

May we never stop chasing the future that we deserve.

Once again, I am Leonardo Mise Wenceslao—

a son of sacrifices,
a product of silent prayers,
your Summa Cum Laude,
and your Class Valedictorian.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story. To God be all the glory, and may God bless us all.