Passion and Purpose

(Commencement speech for STI College Novaliches tertiary graduates batch 2022)

by Janina Jayme-Salubo

A pleasant morning to everyone!

I am delighted to speak before you today on this momentous occasion. My high regard and appreciation go to the administration of STI College Novaliches. Thank you for always giving me opportunities to share my heart with the graduates.

Kudos to the parents and guardians who worked hard to support these students! You are worthy to be recognized at this event. And, to the graduates, congratulations on this achievement! You have flourished and succeeded despite the pandemic. Your adaptability and resilience have truly paid off.

Graduates, for today, you are most likely on cloud nine, elated by all the congratulatory greetings and wishes from your family and friends. You have all the right to celebrate. But in the next couple of days, you would probably be wondering and asking yourself, “What’s next for me?” Reality would hit you, “Magwo-work na ‘ko!” Ito na ba ‘yung exciting part?

I can spend an entire day discussing how to prepare for work, but we do not have that much time. That is why I have decided to share with

you two things — just two things— that you need to embrace as you proceed to the next phase of your life. These two are passion and purpose.

Passion. The term passion came from the Latin word pati which means “to endure, undergo, experience.” Nowadays, this word may pertain to suffering. We might think of this in the context of the passion of Jesus Christ. In His great love and grace, He took the cup of suffering as He was mocked, wounded, and crucified to save men from the condemnation brought about by their sins. I also mentioned the word love. And when we speak of passion, we also usually associate it with the intense desire or love to pursue an endeavor.

With all these concepts in mind, I want to emphasize that being passionate about something somehow entails a form of suffering or enduring. Kailangan niyong pagsumikapang malagpasan ang bawat pagsubok na nakakaharap ninyo upang marating ang inyong mga pangarap. There is no shortcut to success. You have to go through a challenging process of preparation and perseverance to pursue your passion.

An athlete knows very well that he has to undergo rigid training, right diet, and proper rest to champion a match. Likewise, I am sure it was not an easy ride for you to go through the challenging tasks of assignments, quizzes, exams, and theses. But let me tell you, those were what you needed. Lahat ito kinailangan ninyong pagdaanan para maihanda kayo sa hinaharap. And you would eventually see that the efforts that you have poured into this pursuit are all worth it.

What is that dream that you would put your heart into? What is that goal that you are willing to endure for? Is it a career that is directly related to the degree you have finished? Is it a vocation that you desire to pursue? Are you aspiring to take further studies? What are the skills you need to be trained for? These considerations will help you identify your passion. And as you find your passion, you must also seek your purpose.

A passion without purpose is like chasing after the wind.

Purpose. Purpose gives meaning to your passion. A passion without purpose is like chasing after the wind.

Hindi ko sinasabing walang halaga ang mangarap na magkaroon ng maalwang buhay o maging tanyag sa industriyang gusto ninyong pasukan. Instead, I am encouraging you to find a deeper purpose for such aspirations. Para saan ang kayamanan? Para saan ang kasikatan? You might be happy upon achieving these dreams, but surely they would not satisfy all your hearts’ desires. Even Elon Musk, in all his fame and fortune, admitted in an interview that he is not fully happy. Seek such purpose that would bring you lasting joy and that would create a good impact on the people around you.

There have been a lot of books written trying to expound on the purpose of life, but I believe no book can better discuss life’s meaning other than the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible.

In this book, King Solomon sought the meaning of life through gaining wisdom, pleasure, work, wealth, and honor. He experienced and attained all things a man could ever wish for, but what he discovered was that everything in life is meaningless apart from our reverence for God.

It has been said that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” (Westminster Shorter Catechism) Whether you are an entrepreneur, a graphic designer, a computer programmer, an hotelier, a teacher, or whatever career you choose, and whatever you do, they should lead you to the desire to do things for the glory of God. That is the highest purpose that a person could ever pursue.

Let me end with this story. When I enrolled at STI, my dream was to graduate cum laude. I prayed to God before I even stepped into college that I genuinely wanted to deliver the valedictory speech so I could declare His faithfulness and bring Him glory. That was my purpose for that goal. Also, that kept me determined to study hard and do my best in school. I was extremely grade-conscious. But then every uno, 1.25, 1.50 grade that my professors gave me started to inflate my ego. Then, during my sophomore year, with the turn of events, I got a grade of dos from one of my minor subjects. I lost my dean’s lister streak, and almost lost my scholarship. I thought I could never achieve my dream anymore. Then, I realized I did not stick with my purpose. I was sidetracked by my pride. I became self-centered. I was trying to rob Him of the glory that He deserved. Right then, I surrendered my dream to God. I still desired it. I still pursued it. But this time it was for my original purpose. Let me tell you, He has given me more than I asked for. I asked Him to make me cum laude; He made me magna cum laude. I asked Him to allow me to deliver the valedictory speech at graduation; He has made me speak during my graduation, and at other students’ graduations, just like now. And was it because I am smart? No, it was because God is faithful and He honors the desire to glorify Him. And even today, I still live for that purpose.

Graduates, only you can be you. Work hard for that passion that God has placed in your heart. Live for the purpose that He has for you. And you will see yourself joyfully thriving as you embrace and fulfill the role you have in this world.

Again, congratulations graduates! Salute to the parents and teachers! Have a great day!

Photo taken from secondary graduation of STI College Novaliches batch 2022 on the same day as tertiary's.