Arch of the Centuries

Graduation season is in full swing, and for those graduating from my alma mater — UST — it’s time for the much-awaited Baccalaureate Mass and the traditional walk through the Arch of the Centuries.

On my graduation year, I missed attending the batch Baccalaureate Mass.

I was the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of the Thomasian Engineer Journal 1996 . There had been a last-minute push to produce a college batch yearbook, and volunteer staffers were scarce. I became it's default editor and producer. The engineering department heads were hesitant to support the project, doubting if it can be delivered on time.  As EIC, I gave my word: the yearbooks would be issued before graduation day (and an added note to self: come hell or high water). We were working on a very tight schedule, and I had to use every ounce of my convincing (and micro-managing) powers to ensure that publishers met the deadline.

We were racing against time. Deadlines loomed, details mattered, and every decision counted. I poured everything I had into making it happen, convincing and pushing everyone — including myself — beyond our limits. In the end, I chose to skip the Baccalaureate Mass to honor the commitment I made.

The yearbooks were delivered as promised. I had no regrets on what I had to miss.

The Baccalaureate was a once-in-a-lifetime event. A celebration of everything we had worked so hard for. But deep down, I also knew this: missing it would not make the conclusion of my college years less significant. It does not make me less of who  I am. I had clarity. I knew what I wanted, where I needed to go, and the kind of road I was willing to take to get there.

And sometimes, that certainty — that quiet fire inside — is what mattered most. You forge ahead and leave regrets behind.

 Congratulations Batch 2025, especially to the Thomasian Engineers!

 P.S.: After 22 years since we graduated, Alvin and I had our moment under the Arch of Centuries.

Proud Tomasinong Inhinyero