March 23, 2007--a Friday just like any other friday for some but not for Thomasians. Today was our Baccalaureate Mass at the Grandstand. Today was our last day as Thomasians, our last day wearing our uniforms, our last day as university students. Today was a day of closure and goodbyes but unlike other types of goodbyes, we weren't sad when we said them. Instead, we were hopeful. Hopeful that the future holds many wonders for us to discover, many joys for us to experience and many lessons for us to learn. For four years, we have experienced things that we never thought we could survive: countless quizzes, academic papers, productions, presentations, and of course, our theses. We never thought we would face so much hurdles in university but somehow we surpassed everything (with grace, might I add). Whether we admit it or not, I think that the four years we spent inside the university had the most bearing on our character. We all grew as individuals and we became stronger, tougher and more determined. I will miss my blockmates and my university but I know that I'm not saying goodbye to them permanently. I will always be a Thomasian just as I will always be a part of the 4CA1 Caliente team. Always.

The fireworks that lit up the sky for a good 5-10 minutes reminded us the beauty of the sky. That amid the dark night, a single spark can bring so much joy and hope to everyone. We all craned our necks so as not to miss one moment of the colorful fireworks display. Today was one of those days when I wished desperately that I had my own camera. I would've wanted to capture as much of today as possible but I'm sure that my classmates would post their images soon and i'll just borrow their pictures. We sang the UST Hymn for the last time, facing the main building which looked proud and majestic with its rustic stone facade. It became the symbol of our university and the sight of the Main Building tonight will be etched in our memories forever.

Aside from the fireworks, the highlight of the night was walking out of the Arc of the Century. We walked in through the arc when we were freshmen and now, we walked out as graduates. Full circle. Our journey as students is complete but our journey as Thomasians is just beginning. This time around, we face the challenge of maintaining our Thomasian values and character through the various hurdles of real life. We understand that this may be harder than anything we've ever dealt with within the university but there's no doubt in my heart that we can surpass everything. We've made true friends that will help us through the tough times, we've learned lessons (academic and otherwise) that will help us in our chosen careers as well as dealing with people we will be meeting and we have a tremendous amount of hope that things will turn out as God planned.

So, we say goodbye to our dear Santo Tomas, our second home for the last 4 years. We shall miss thy halls and parks, your classrooms and professors but we bring with us memories that will last us through our lifetime. We bring with us lessons and friends that we will be keeping forever. And we shall be bringing your good name with us for eternity. Thank you UST for 4 years of learning, we will make you proud, wait and see.