#VSUGrad2025 | 72nd Commencement Speech of Dr. Fr. Jesuraj Anthoniappen

Esteemed Dr. Prose Ivy Yepes, The President of Visayas State University (VSU), Respected Vice Presidents, Board of regents, Faculty deans, faculty members, proud parents, well-wishers, friends and you my dear graduates of class 2025, a very good afternoon to you all. 

Dear graduates, I am proud and honored to stand in front of you on this significant day of your life, a day to celebrate your academic accomplishments, a day to make your parents proud, a day to express your sincere gratitude to your beloved teachers, administrators, and VSU, and a day to bow before the Almighty for all his graciousness without which you would not have this day. I congratulate each one of you, for you have made it despite all odds. Dear parents, thank you for trusting your children, and standing by their side even when they disappointed you or made mistakes. Dear faculty members, thank you too for accompanying these brilliant 

minds, beautiful souls. I know they had disappointed you as well at times, but you still choose to accompany them, mold them and guided them as a beacon of light to reach this day. Therefore, you have a reason to rejoice. 

Dear graduates, turn to your right and left, and say to one another: Congratulations, we made it. 

Honestly, when I received an email for your dean Dr. Rev, I could say neither “yes” nor “no”. I took couple of days to respond because I was asking for myself: Why me? I am not an Alumni of VSU, nor closely associated with VSU. I hardly know people here except him. Then I told to myself: since I never been to VSU, let me take 

this opportunity visit, make some friends. Therefore, I am here, with a responsibility of delivering the commencement speech for class 2025 though I feel nervous. Thank you Rev and Dr. Yepes for the opportunity. 

Lend me your ears dear graduates for next 15-20 minutes. You might be tired of many lectures. Bear with me this one. This does not have assessment or points or grades. This is only for you. As you stand on the cusp of new beginning, I want to share four guiding principles to illuminate your path ahead. I am sure all of you know 

the NILE river. I am not going to talk about the River. This is an acronym for what I am going to share. After few years, you may not remember what I am going to say today, but you will remember NILE at least. 

First, N stands for Never Stop Learning: It was on July 15, 2015. I was getting ready to defend my PhD dissertation. I spent several hours in preparing for the defense, went to the chapel and prayed for guidance. With confidence, I entered the hall to defend my dissertation. After being grilled for more than 2 hours, I realized one thing. I know only a very little, I have a lot to learn. The degree that I get is only an recognition of my potential to learn and grow further. The degree and the ceremony of that day made me to feel humble in the face of the wasteness and depth of knowledge that the universe could offer. 

Dear graduates, keep this in mind. You are being recognized today for your ability, for your potential to learn and grow. The universe is telling you today to embrace the transition in your life but NEVER STOP LEARNING, because you have to navigate the challenges ahead, you have to turn every obstacle into opportunity, you have to go through several steps before tasting any success, and you have to make sacrifices in order to find purpose and meaning. You need an open heart and mind, an open perspective to face the world of today. Let me share with you a story told my one of the Indian spiritual guru Ram das. 

Two waves, one big and another small, were approaching the shore. When the big wave saw other waves crushing at the shore, it got terrified and panicked. It told the small wave: we are done, we are going to perish in a while. But the small wave responded with calm: do not worry, we will survive, we will make it. But again the big wave told. No.. I can see Infront of me what is happening with others. They are unable to cross the shore, all perished back into the ocean. The small wave smiled and told: why are you unnecessarily panicked? Remember who you are. You are not the wave, but water. You are part of this immense ocean. Wave is only a temporary form. Look beyond your current form and see your real self. Then, you will realize that being water, you have the ability to navigate anything, go anywhere you want without loosing yourself. This is a powerful lesson for all of us. What kind of perspective that you want develop when faced with challenges? Your response to a particular context or situation depends on your perspective. 

A girl went to the college and she did not write to her parents for such a long time. She felt very bad for not contacting her parents and she decided to write a letter to her parents to explain the reason for not contacting her parents for such a long time. This is what she wrote: 

Dear mom and dad, Since I left for college, I have been remiss in writing and I am sorry for my thoughtlessness in not having written before. I will bring you up to date, but before I do, can you please sit down? It is very important that you sit down before you read on. I am getting on pretty well and now the skull fracture and the concussion that I got when I jumped out of my dormitory window when I caught on fire shortly after my arrival. It has pretty well healed. I only get those sick headaches a couple of times a day. Fortunately, an attendant at the gas station witnessed the fire in my dormitory, and the jump, he ran over, took me to hospital and continued to visit me there. When I got out of the hospital, no where to live, because of the burnt out conditions of my room. So he was kind enough to invite me to share his basement bedroom apartment with him. It’s sort of small but very cute. He is a very fine boy and we have fallen deeply in love and we are planning to get married. We haven’t set the exact date yet, but it will be before my pregnancy begin to show. Yes mom and dad, I am pregnant. I know how much you are looking forward to being grandparents, and I 

know you will welcome the baby and give it the same tender care and devotion that you gave me when I was a child. Now, the reason for the delay in our marriage is that my boyfriend has an infection, which I carelessly caught from him. I know however, you will welcome him into our family with open arms. He is very kind and although not well-educated, he is ambitious. Although he is of a different race and religion than ours I know that your often expressed tolerance will not permit you to be bothered by that. In conclusion, now that I have brought you up to date I want to tell you: There was no dormitory fire. I did not have concussion or skull fracture. I was not in the hospital and I am not pregnant. I do not have any infection and there is no boyfriend 

in my life. However, I have failed all my exams. I have failed all my exams and I want you to see these things results in their proper perspective. Perspective is very important to navigate any situation. Remember, learning doesn’t end here; it’s a continuous process that will equip you to navigate an ever-changing world with confidence.

Second, I stands for Integrity. Act with Integrity: I am sure that all of you will progress in life. Some of you will become educators, some will leaders, some will have your own business enterprise, and guess some will become priests or pastors like me. In conclusion, you will become someone tomorrow and I wish and pray that you will become what you dream of yourself. But remember, whatever you will do, always act with integrity. I believe that even knowledge without integrity is useless. What is integrity? The first part of integrity is the quality of being honest having strong moral principles and moral uprightness. This is about being honest, and trustworthy and with good character. These are the traits of Integrity which are very visible to others. The second part of integrity is the state of being whole and undivided, having integral unity and coherence. This is about our internal unity and coherence. This is our inner world. Our inner world drives our external actions. If we are not united and coherent internally, then our external actions do not reveal traits of integrity. Therefore, Integrity is an internal quality that we possess that others may or may not see. Nelson

Mandela once said: The first thing is to be honest with yourself. If we are not united and consistent internally, we cannot progress and grow mature.

One day, 3 boys were late for the class, almost two hours late. They were enjoying fishing in the river. On their way to the school, they decided what excuse to give. When they approached the classroom, the teacher asked for the reason. All of them said, the tire of their car was got flat. The teacher nodded her head and told them. Alright.. I will ask you only one question, if you could answer it within 30 seconds, there is no punishment. She made to spread apart and gave this question: which tire got flat? Well that is the end their drama. One act of dishonesty can push us backward in our life journey. But our honesty will take us forward.

One day an young mid-level junior lawyer was with his boss, the top lawyer of the law firm. Suddenly, the telephone rang, and as the young lawyer reached to it, the boss said: if that is for me, tell them I am not here. The young lawyer reached the phone and answered, yes, he is here.. and handed the phone to his boss. The

boss was so furious, red-faced. He had a small conversation, hang up the phone and turned to his junior lawyer, he wanted to tear him apart. But the young lawyer spoke first and said: I will never lie for you and I will never lie to you. The Boss was so impressed by his character, and put him to the top position.

Dear graduates, if you desire progress in life, act with honesty, no matter what the circumstance is. Act with integrity in all that you do; whether in your careers, relationships, or personal choices. It’s not always the easiest path, but it is the most rewarding. Upholding your values will always inspire others.

Third, L stands for Love. Love what you do. Passion fuels purpose. When you engage wholeheartedly in your pursuits, work becomes more than just a task, it transforms into a source of fulfillment and joy. Seek out what genuinely inspires you, and pursue it relentlessly. Remember, life is short, none of us have the luxury of time. 

Therefore, making a right choice and embracing it wholeheartedly, and loving it completely is very important. Persons who love what they do, will progress faster than who are looking for what interests them. Abraham Lincon once said: All of us are created equal but all of us are not born in equal circumstances and thus, we do 

not get what we want always. Apple Founder Steve Jobs, while sharing his life story at the Standford Commencement rites, he said: I was lucky that I found what I loved to do early in life. He started Apple in the garage of his parents when he was 20. He worked hard, in 10 years, the company grew from 2 persons in the garage to 4000 employees with 2 billon dollar company. But then, somehow things went wrong. He was fired by the same company he started. He was disappointed but he was still in love with what he started. When he had the chance, he chose to go back to apple because he loved what he started. Sometimes, life will hit us with heavy brick. The only thing that will keep us going is the thing that we do with love. 

Graduates, all of us are not as lucky as Steve Jobs who go what he loved. We may not get what we love, but if we love what we do, I am sure, luck will follow us and take us to success. Therefore, do not waste time in looking for the things you love, rather, love the things that you go to do. When you love what you do, you not only elevate yourself but also inspire those around you.

Finally, E stands for Empower. Empower others as much as you can. Success is amplified when shared. Lift others as you climb, offer mentorship, encouragement, and kindness. True success in life is about empowering others to realize their potential. By building each other up, we create a community of resilience, innovation, and compassion that can change the world. Remember the story of the movie “Pay it forward”. It is the story about you and the world”. What does the world mean to you? What does the world expect of you? The assignment given to the class is to think of an idea to change our world – and put it into action. The Young Traver, with his idea, changes the world for the beggar, changes the world for his mother.. he empowers few people around him, and thus becomes the epicenter for change, force for empowerment.

Dear graduates, the world of today needs change, needs transformation. Each one of you can become an agent for change if only resolve to empower others around you in the way you can. 

To conclude, class of 2025, you are equipped not just with knowledge, but with values that will guide you through life's many chapters. Embrace these principles proudly and boldly. Let your journeys be marked by continuous growth, unwavering integrity, boundless love, and empowering action. Congratulations on this incredible achievement. The future awaits your remarkable contributions. Go forth and make a difference, be the salt of the earth, and light to the world. 

Thank you.

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