On the ground: 174th Commencement Exercises

“After 14 years of being a Lasallian, I’m finally here and honestly I’m going to miss it. I don’t know if I’m going to cry later.”

— A graduate by the steps

Before entering PICC, a mother takes a picture of her kids huddled together. Her daughter fixes Kuya‘s robe for the photograph.

Restless children climb up and down the carpeted steps while waiting outside the ceremonial hall.

Florists are busy at work arranging hundreds of bouquets for the October graduates.

A man holds onto a graduate’s cap with a toga tucked in, standing in to support a friend whose family couldn’t be in the ceremony.

There’s no difference between Ateneo and La Salle actually because we all just want to help.

— A student of both rival schools

Wide-eyed and beaming with pride, parents take a snapshot with their son in full toga before having to separate for the graduation rites.

Amidst the chatter and anticipation, a graduate takes a selfie to mark the moment before marching.

Clad in black togas, tense and thrilled graduates gather to commemorate the day when a crucial chapter of their lives close, to usher in the beginning of the rest of their lives.

A mother, clutching a bouquet of flowers, anticipates the moment her daughter walks on stage to receive her diploma.

We came all the way from the province. I’m so proud because as her dad, I did not attain that kind of education level and that God gave me a gem.

— A father buying flowers for his daughter

Cameras hang above the graduates to telecast the proceedings for those unable to attend.

A man takes a break from the long ceremony to feed the fish outside the building.

Barefoot graduates are seen after the ceremony with their high heels clutched in one hand and their diploma in the other.

A graduate tosses his hat in the air following the century long tradition, which symbolizes the end of a long chapter in a student’s life.

Culmination can be a scary word to use as it assumes some sort of end. Often times it means that it will never get as good as it is now. Whether we view graduation as a culmination may depend on what college meant for us. Was it about the journey or the destination?

John Dewey did say, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”