24th January 2009, Saturday
Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

Dr. Lewis, Mr. Fierence, Mr. Becker, Mr. Rondez, Mr. Philibert, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Daly, Distinguished Guests, Parents, and friends, WELCOME!

My dear fellow graduates….
We finally made it. This is what we’ve worked so hard for. As we close this chapter of our lives, we move towards unfamiliar territory presenting exciting prospects that await us to make our mark.
I think we can speak on the behalf of all of us; our time here no matter how short or long has acted as a catalyst for our personal growth and development.

There is a reason why people call these ceremonies “commencement exercises.” Our graduation is not the end; it is the beginning of another vast journey into our future.
Today, we salute you because we are witnesses to our achievement! You cannot imagine the excitement we feel as we both stand here before you, proud of our accomplishment. We are here altogether as each other’s witness as we have reached an important milestone in our life where all our hard work has finally paid off and we go on into the world armed with the knowledge and skills we have acquired in our stay here in HIM. We will forever remember the great moments in Miramonte where we had our very own “global village” as products not only of HIM, SHMS Caux or Leysin, but products of our unique individualities.

Thanks must go to all the staff who have constantly steered us in the right direction, for motivating and guiding us even though we at times resisted! We would like to take the time to present a gift of our appreciation to Mr. Bernard Fierens, Director at the Private Bank of Edmond Rothschild who during our semester, dedicated his time to us by presenting a number of informative financial seminars. So if you please Mr. Fierens come up, we have a financial crises survival pack for you!

We fondly remember our lecturers who shared this semester’s journey with us and we encourage you to reflect upon the wise words of our teachers. Ladies and gents, when you go out into this world never forget that you’re already in for a big challenge. Mr. Jordan never emphasized enough how lucky we are to be living in a time of crisis because we can still change the world! And although life may greet us with adversity, remember Mr. Daly’s Holistic approach on life and any given predicament---look at the big picture!

On many occasions, we am sure that we will all encounter mind-boggling statistics as well as exciting decisions. You can choose to make your own decision trees but always remember how Dr. Wallace taught us patience and that practice really does make perfect. Remember your SEXY FORMULAS and financial ratios from Mr. Rosen’s and Mr. T’s class. We are sure in this time of financial crisis they will come in handy. Ms. Kullander taught us to play devil’s advocate and be critical thinkers but never forget your work-life balance. And like what Mr. McPartland would always say, work on your strategies and build your own corporate culture. Take away with you your life’s paradigms and frameworks that Mr. Wichert adamantly impressed in our heads! But still leave room to be SHOCKED and AMAZED by beauty and art in life just like the ones Mr. Ducatel showed us.

However most of all, dear friends, always remember what Mr. Fitzgerald said… “You’re free to fail.” Never be afraid to fail or make mistakes because it is in failure that we learn the most about ourselves. All of us here are educated. We have our diplomas and degrees but do not look at these as only a ticket to the good life but as a chance…an opportunity to change the world. In each of us lies unlimited potential that is waiting to be unleashed. Do not be afraid to ask questions and face obstacles. For you have earned every right to be brilliant and talented!
And to our parents and guardians to those who are here and to those that unfortunately could not join us today, we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your support and guidance. This has been a great opportunity both academically and socially. As you might agree with Mr. Benjamin Franklin, “an investment in knowledge always pays the best interest” and we hope that we have made you proud.

We’ve began our journey altogether as strangers in a new and foreign place and now here we are…HERE WE ARE….together as friends and comrades on the road to success. In this life, I’ve learned that you meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll meet those people you can’t ever forget. Those are your friends…and I’m sure we have come away from these few months with a solid handful of them. Hold onto them.

My dear friends let me remind you that today we begin a new chapter filled with new places to discover, challenges to be conquered, and learning experiences that will build our characters. But when you leave our town of Montreux, never forget why you came here in the first place. Never forget all the moments we’ve shared together because we assure you, it will never come again in our lifetime. Remember that everything we’ve done, said, and seen here has what made us who we are. Our future is yet ahead of us but remember that it is with purpose of our actions that we bring validity to our lives. For our actions is what determines the value of our beings.

In ending, we leave you with these wise words: Always remember that it is not your aptitude but your ATTITUDE that will determine your altitude in life. Go wherever your roads may take you, and in your journeys we wish you only the best. But also take with you the professionalism, skills, knowledge, and integrity that have been engrained within every single one of you.
Be bold, be brave, but most of all, be YOU! Congratulations to everyone! T.Y.


NOTE:: If you weren't at the BBA graduation, I'm sure it would confuse you to think about similarities with Filda AND REIKO's speech up at Caux. You should know that at our grad this semester, Reiko and I did the speech in the same manner she did with Filda. It's a bit appalling to find comments that insinuate that it was copied off of Filda when it was also Reiko's speech, AND a big part of this speech was MINE. So if there are any objections, I'd love for someone to post the other speech.....and guys, COME ON!!! This was posted in the spirit of ENCOURAGEMENT not COMPARISON.

*No Stress. Life is Good.*