Thanks for all your emails. It took some time before I could write a reply owing to my busy schedule. Yesterday (April 8) was my graduation at CEU and it was a happy and momentous event in my academic journey. How I wish you were all here to witness the ceremony.
Our graduation was held at the Fiesta Pavillion of the Manila Hotel and there were around 400 graduates from the College of Med Technology; the School of Education, Liberal Arts, Music, Social Works (SELAMS); and the Graduate School. Sixty-two masteral and doctoral students were conferred their degrees yesterday in a two-hour solemn commencement exercise which started at 7AM. CEU held separate rites for four other colleges with a different commencement speaker for each program.
Our commencement speaker was Fr. Roderick Salazar, SVD--president of San Carlos University, Cebu City. He delivered a direct, down to earth message to the members of the graduating class which we found to be very inspiring. He was introduced by Dr. Paz I. Lucido, dean of SELAMS and who also served as chair of my oral defense panel.
I received two awards as I have mentioned earlier: (1) Highest Academic Distinction with a GPA of 1.02--the highest in our batch and (2) Excellence in Research with a rating of 1.04 given by the oral examination committee. Mimi and Papa (Erwin) went up the stage twice to witness the giving of the awards. The president of CEU, Dr. Ma. Cristina D. Padolina, bestowed the two awards.
The icing in the cake was something I did not expect. You see when I was in the initial stage of my writing I submitted three proposed problems to my Dissertation Seminar professor and to the Dean of the SELAMS. My first choice was a study of three dominant religions in three selected countries in Southeast Asia; the second a study on moral influence of religon on SDA youth in the Philippines; and the third one a study of problems encountered by foreign students in AUP. The third proposed problem was the one approved by the dean and so I did my work only here in AUP which saved the SSD and AUP a lot of money had I done my research in Thailand and Indonesia.
My problem is titled Problems Encountered by Foreign Students at the Adventist University of the Philippines: Basis for a Proposed Cross-cultural Orientation Program. And this is the icing. When I was called to receive my diploma the title of my dissertation was read and so everyone in the audience heard about our church and AUP. When I was called again to receive the Excellence in Research award, the title of my dissertation was read again and so the audience heard about our church and AUP for the second time. Mimi told me later that somebody who was seated close to her said, "Ah, Adventist!"
When I went up the stage, I shed tears of joy thanking God for the opportunity to witness for Him up to the last moment of my stay at CEU. There were only four of us who receive the Excellence in Academic Award and the other one is also a Seventh-day Adventist, an alumnus of AUP, who came from Madagascar. He is Jacques Razafindrabiby. My companions from AUP who witnessed the graduation commented later that once again the words of Daniel came true when we turned out to be the best among the graduate students who finished yesterday. God is honored I know for what we have accomplished through His grace.
CEU published in two separate issues of Manila Bulletin (April 7-8, 2008) the list of awardees and their corresponding awards. Our pictures appeared on a separate section of the April 7 issue--full page--and again on the main section--centerfold--of the April 8 issue, this time in full color.
Well, after all the klieg lights, it is time to acknowledge and return to God the glory that is His alone. I could not have done it any better were it not for His grace and guidance. Sitting it out in the classrooms of CEU for two years and the dissertation writing for one year put my capacities to a test. It was God's sustaining grace that made me finish with flying colors!
I am thankful to AUP and the Southern-Asia Pacific Division (SSD) for the opportunity given to me to study. Now it is time to return the favors. On Monday, I will be going back to the classroom, the place where I belong, to teach a bunch of college students the art and science of citizenship that will prepare them for usefulness both in this world and in the world to come. There is nothing as satisfying as spending time with young people who are in search for meaning in life and eternal life.
I am thankful to all of you--members of my family--for your prayers and support through the years. You are all part of my success and the accolades I have received are yours too. I have been touched by your love, generosity and prayers. I am thankful most especially to Mimi who stood by me during the months of my study. I wrote a dedication line for her (and also for my late father) in my dissertation. The opportunity was not his (my father) to see me earn my doctorate degree. Death snatched him from us when I was still in the data gathering stage of my research last August 2007.
I believe Mimi and Papa will be sending you pictures as soon as they get the motivation and the inspiration to do so (hehe!). It is their department I suppose. Mine is to write but the pictures are with Mimi and Papa.
Karel and Michelle are spending their one month vacation in Bacolod with their grandma right now. Mimi brought the two of them there last week and she came back a week later in time for my graduation. By the way, Karel and Michelle also received awards last month from their respective schools in recognition of their excellent performance during the past school year.
This is all for now. I hope that you have been encouraged by this news and here is praying that God will always bless you abundantly according to His riches in glory through Jesus Christ.
I know it's very late but better than never. Congratulations bro! He's been gracious in sustaining you through that tedious endeavor. I know this will aid you in pressing on His agenda.
2 comments:
Hello Everyone:
Thanks for all your emails. It took some time before I could write a reply owing to my busy schedule. Yesterday (April 8) was my graduation at CEU and it was a happy and momentous event in my academic journey. How I wish you were all here to witness the ceremony.
Our graduation was held at the Fiesta Pavillion of the Manila Hotel and there were around 400 graduates from the College of Med Technology; the School of Education, Liberal Arts, Music, Social Works (SELAMS); and the Graduate School. Sixty-two masteral and doctoral students were conferred their degrees yesterday in a two-hour solemn commencement exercise which started at 7AM. CEU held separate rites for four other colleges with a different commencement speaker for each program.
Our commencement speaker was Fr. Roderick Salazar, SVD--president of San Carlos University, Cebu City. He delivered a direct, down to earth message to the members of the graduating class which we found to be very inspiring. He was introduced by Dr. Paz I. Lucido, dean of SELAMS and who also served as chair of my oral defense panel.
I received two awards as I have mentioned earlier: (1) Highest Academic Distinction with a GPA of 1.02--the highest in our batch and (2) Excellence in Research with a rating of 1.04 given by the oral examination committee. Mimi and Papa (Erwin) went up the stage twice to witness the giving of the awards. The president of CEU, Dr. Ma. Cristina D. Padolina, bestowed the two awards.
The icing in the cake was something I did not expect. You see when I was in the initial stage of my writing I submitted three proposed problems to my Dissertation Seminar professor and to the Dean of the SELAMS. My first choice was a study of three dominant religions in three selected countries in Southeast Asia; the second a study on moral influence of religon on SDA youth in the Philippines; and the third one a study of problems encountered by foreign students in AUP. The third proposed problem was the one approved by the dean and so I did my work only here in AUP which saved the SSD and AUP a lot of money had I done my research in Thailand and Indonesia.
My problem is titled Problems Encountered by Foreign Students at the Adventist University of the Philippines: Basis for a Proposed Cross-cultural Orientation Program. And this is the icing. When I was called to receive my diploma the title of my dissertation was read and so everyone in the audience heard about our church and AUP. When I was called again to receive the Excellence in Research award, the title of my dissertation was read again and so the audience heard about our church and AUP for the second time. Mimi told me later that somebody who was seated close to her said, "Ah, Adventist!"
When I went up the stage, I shed tears of joy thanking God for the opportunity to witness for Him up to the last moment of my stay at CEU. There were only four of us who receive the Excellence in Academic Award and the other one is also a Seventh-day Adventist, an alumnus of AUP, who came from Madagascar. He is Jacques Razafindrabiby. My companions from AUP who witnessed the graduation commented later that once again the words of Daniel came true when we turned out to be the best among the graduate students who finished yesterday. God is honored I know for what we have accomplished through His grace.
CEU published in two separate issues of Manila Bulletin (April 7-8, 2008) the list of awardees and their corresponding awards. Our pictures appeared on a separate section of the April 7 issue--full page--and again on the main section--centerfold--of the April 8 issue, this time in full color.
Well, after all the klieg lights, it is time to acknowledge and return to God the glory that is His alone. I could not have done it any better were it not for His grace and guidance. Sitting it out in the classrooms of CEU for two years and the dissertation writing for one year put my capacities to a test. It was God's sustaining grace that made me finish with flying colors!
I am thankful to AUP and the Southern-Asia Pacific Division (SSD) for the opportunity given to me to study. Now it is time to return the favors. On Monday, I will be going back to the classroom, the place where I belong, to teach a bunch of college students the art and science of citizenship that will prepare them for usefulness both in this world and in the world to come. There is nothing as satisfying as spending time with young people who are in search for meaning in life and eternal life.
I am thankful to all of you--members of my family--for your prayers and support through the years. You are all part of my success and the accolades I have received are yours too. I have been touched by your love, generosity and prayers. I am thankful most especially to Mimi who stood by me during the months of my study. I wrote a dedication line for her (and also for my late father) in my dissertation. The opportunity was not his (my father) to see me earn my doctorate degree. Death snatched him from us when I was still in the data gathering stage of my research last August 2007.
I believe Mimi and Papa will be sending you pictures as soon as they get the motivation and the inspiration to do so (hehe!). It is their department I suppose. Mine is to write but the pictures are with Mimi and Papa.
Karel and Michelle are spending their one month vacation in Bacolod with their grandma right now. Mimi brought the two of them there last week and she came back a week later in time for my graduation. By the way, Karel and Michelle also received awards last month from their respective schools in recognition of their excellent performance during the past school year.
This is all for now. I hope that you have been encouraged by this news and here is praying that God will always bless you abundantly according to His riches in glory through Jesus Christ.
Rex
I know it's very late but better than never. Congratulations bro! He's been gracious in sustaining you through that tedious endeavor. I know this will aid you in pressing on His agenda.
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