'Till We Meet Again

Saturday morning.

We lined up inside the PICC like soldiers in a parade position, waiting for the line to move. As the minutes tick and the line not moving, we used this time to take pictures in anticipation of the inevitable.

Saturday afternoon.

The graduation rites were finished, so now it was time to pose for more pictures. The more photographs taken, the more memories were created. We savored the moment of finishing college on a high note.

On that day, the dream of making it to the podium and receive our commemorative pins and diplomas was fulfilled. Every one of us flashed smiles on our faces, exchanged hugs and kisses, and tossed their hats in triumph of finishing college. We all had a great ride, and all the moments we had through three years of success, hard work and sacrifice were completed in one single toss of a mortarboard.

The dream that began three or so years ago, as strangers trying to adapt to a new environment, finally culminated on October 15, 2011. Let's face it. Back when we were doing LPEP, we were a given a crash course into the Lasallian lifestyle. During our frosh year, we were introduced to the words 'Beach House', 'Agno', 'Lair', 'EGI' among others, and endured long elevator or staircase trips to Andrew building. In soph year, we were introduced to Mrs. Sibayan and her complicated theoretical mindset. And in junior year, we sacrificed so much sleep just to finish and successfully defend our hard-earned thesis. Some of us would also dab into other extra-curricular projects as a way to spread one's wings. No matter how difficult and trying they come we still overcame them through hard work and commitment to each other.

And now we reached the point of fulfillment. As we waited for our names to be called, our thoughts were on each other and in the future. Uncertainty filled our minds, as every single second ticked like a time bomb that will explode soon. We knew that our moment had come. As our names were finally called, we not only flashed smiles of satisfaction, but also thanked God for all the things we've done to make it on stage. And as we sang the Alma Mater hymn for the last time as students, we basked into the moment of glory, triumph and victory.

That hot October afternoon, the last thing we did was to cry, but instead we laughed, we smiled, and smiled some more as a measure of satisfaction and gratitude. We knew that we had become grown-up men and women, ready to walk forward into the white-collar world. Every day we kept thinking about our future, forming visions in our head like dreams in the sky. And now that our dreams will be put to the test, we'll hope that we find new careers that will define our legacies as individuals.

As the final images were taken, we knew that we were moving on and into the unfamiliar confines of the white-collar world. But there will come a day where our paths will cross again, and when the time comes, we may remember so many cherished memories in every conversation we make. 'Till then, savor the moment and be proud of each other.