(Editor's note: This is the Commissioning Address of Marianne Adrielle Tiongson, 2012 Xavier University High School Valedictorian, who served as the Xavier Ateneo Junior High School Commissioning Exercises Speaker on March 24, 2017. We are republishing it here from her personal blog, medschoolpanacea.wordpress.com, with her permission).
“Fr Roberto Yap SJ, our university president; Fr Joaquin Jose Mari Sumpaico III, our school principal; administrators, faculty and staff, parents, soon-to-be completers, good afternoon!
X-Men tells the story of a parallel universe where mutants serve as superheroes that save the day!
We have Cyclops, who can emit powerful energy beams from his eyes.
Or Wolverine, with his healing factor that gives him regenerative ability on top of his animal senses and indestructible adamantium claws.
Or Jean Grey, with her telekinetic, telepathic, mind-reading abilities we would probably envy especially when taking exams!
So, of all other possible time to fangirl over X-Men, why did I especially choose today?
Because incidentally, these mutants, along with so many others with special abilities, go to … Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters! (Taysa … taga-Xavier pod sila?)
In fact, if that school were to get an upgrade, and apply for university status, it would be called, “Xavier’s University” which means that we’re way ahead of them!
We may not have the ability to shapeshift at will like Mystique, or teleport from one place to another like Nightcrawler, or pass through solid walls like Shadowcat, but I guarantee you, our own Xavier University has equipped us with the necessary set of skills to live a kickass life.
And I know that for a fact. I know because five years ago, I too, was sitting on one of those chairs you’re currently sitting on. Back then, I had no idea what would happen to me in college.
When I entered the University of the Philippines, I was scared and doubtful. Thankfully, this school prepared me well — it gave me "The Xavier Advantage." In many ways, UP’s motto of “Honor and Excellence” felt familiar because, at its core, it really also means "Magis."
For four beautiful years, Xavier taught me that Magis is not just about doing more; it’s also about becoming more. Simply put, Magis is not merely the output, Magis is also the process. In Xavier, Magis is a way of life.
It was Magis when you put extra effort for your Sabayang Pagbigkas right in this very stage.
It was Magis when you played your heart out on the soccer field during intramurals.
It was Magis when you did your best in a classroom presentation, complete with costume, props, and background music.
And now you realize that during our stay here, Xavier made us live Magis. So much so that when my batchmates and I entered college, doing more and becoming more were nothing new to us.
Shaira graduated as the sole summa cum laude of her batch in UP Manila last year.
Marione was magna cum laude also of UP Manila.
They are now both studying in the UP College of Medicine.
Kirtham was the chairperson of UP Diliman’s National College of Public Administration and Governance Student Council.
Engel was cum laude of Ateneo de Manila University.
Sermae was chief magistrate of De La Salle University.
Many things in life will require you to give more. But it shouldn’t be hard, because you’ve had years and years of practice here! When Magis becomes your yardstick, excellence will surely follow.
But The Xavier Advantage does not only focus on competence. What makes Xavier different is because it gives premium to holistic development. We are taught to be committed, culturally-integrated, Christ-centered, and compassionate. And along the way, I tell you, you’re going to need all of them.
One day, when the strength you need to get out of bed abandons you, being committed will remind you why you chose that path to begin with. It will remind you when you are about to give up that this exhaustion is only temporary, but your dreams are lasting. It will remind you, time and again, to stay despite the sleepless nights, the constant self-doubt, and the occasional heartaches.
Being a medical student can be unimaginably taxing. I’ve been both physically and emotionally drained to the point of asking whether all the trade-off and opportunity costs are still worth it. But Xavier taught me to be committed, and it is this commitment that makes me pronounce with conviction, as Fr Richie Fernando SJ once said, “I know where my heart is.” My heart is in medicine. It remains in the service of my patients.
This is why I am also thankful that Xavier molded us to be culturally-integrated. This quality enables us to respect and understand the culture of different people we encounter in our lives.
Patients of the Philippine General Hospital come from all over the Philippines with practices, beliefs, and rituals of their own that can be different from mine. Being culturally-integrated allowed me to give premium to the cultural preferences of my patients because when traditions are integrated with healthcare, better patient participation and empowerment happens.
But this is not just applicable to the practice of medicine. Becoming culturally-integrated means being accepting of different cultures and traditions of others. It is a characteristic identity of a Xavier graduate to be champions of societal acceptance.
This societal acceptance better happens when you mix in an ounce of compassion — the ability to empathize with and respond to the suffering of others. While UP taught me to dedicate my service “Para sa Bayan,” I realized that this has been intuitive all along because Xavier first instilled in me the value of cura personalis, the care of the whole person. Xavier taught us to dedicate our service to those who are in need.
We first entered Xavier as boys and girls of our parents, but we leave it as "Men and Women for Others."
Lastly, Xavier taught us to be Christ-centered by emphasizing the need to find God in all things. We are made aware that God is everywhere, is in everyone, is in everything. And it is this knowledge that has allowed me to survive all the trials and challenges that I faced 5 years after I graduated high school. Because all of my experiences, the good and the bad, the happiest and the worst, I lift to Him in offering. UP has a beautiful word for offering, Oblation. But long before I have met this naked man giving himself up in offering, I wrote four letters on top of all my papers, (which I still do until now!) AMDG — Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (For God’s Greater Glory).
Friends, don’t envy the superheroes who can fly, who can turn invisible, or who can run impossibly fast. Because after all, Xavier has given you something else. It taught you Magis to remind you that there’s always more to give, and more to become. Xavier taught you to be competent, to be committed, to be culturally-integrated, to be compassionate, and to be Christ-centered.
That’s why, we’re not just X-Men. We’re X-Men … and Women for Others.
Xavier’s Men and Women for Others. Charge on, because more than superheroes, you are Crusaders. Unafraid of the nails, unheeding of the wounds, able to love through the thorns and pain.
That is The Xavier Advantage. ∎
THROWBACK. Marianne Adrielle Tiongson, 2012 Xavier University High School Valedictorian, delivered her valedictory address five years ago at XUHS Covered Courts. Supplied photo.
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Writer's note on her blog medschoolpanacea.wordpress.com:
I don’t think “Thank you” will ever be enough to express how grateful I am for everything Xavier has done for me.
And when I say “Xavier,” I mean the entire community that helped mold me into who I am today.
This goes especially to our teachers, who showed us how to fall in love with learning.
Seeing your eyes gleam with passion every time you introduce a new lesson has always been inspiring. You did not only teach us Mathematics, English, Social Studies, Science, Filipino, etc, you taught us what Magis was about. You were our models of competence, compassion, commitment, cultural integration, and Christ-centeredness. We need only look at you to understand what these words meant.
I will never tire of thanking each and every one of you. Daghang salamat.
Thank you as well to Sir Sam for that heartwarming, kilig-inducing introduction. Here’s a retroactive Thank You for helping me with my speech 5 years ago. Salamat, Papa Sam! Thank you to Father Jonjee for giving “Dora” the chance to go back and reminisce her memorable “explorations.” Level up na po tayo to X-Men (and Women for Others).
Ultimately, thank you also to my parents for sending us only to the best schools.
Thank you, Xavier, for reminding us that there is “a good within all of us.” For believing in what we are capable of, when we could not do that for ourselves.
When I was writing my speech, I thought the question I was trying to answer was “What have I accomplished that Xavier could be proud of?” But multiple revisions, and countless bouts of dissatisfaction after, I realized that the better question was, “What has Xavier done for me?” And the pen started writing magically, as if with a life of its own. Because Xavier has done so, so much for me.