14/06/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐:
๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐, ๐ฐ ๐๐๐
.
As the curtain falls, my time as the SSAO President for Academic Year 2025โ2026 comes to an end, I surrender this seat with a ๐ต๐๐บ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐๐น๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐.
This may not have been the most peaceful chapter in the history of SSAO, but it has undoubtedly been one of its most fruitful and dynamic years. It was a year of ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐, ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ต, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ปโa year that tested not only our leadership but also our character.
In my two years of service of being the ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ and the ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ within this office, I came to understand how the system operates and, more importantly, who it exists for: ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐. SSAO was never meant to serve power, positions, or personalities. It was built to serve the student body.
As a member of the School Board of Trustees, I learned that leadership means ๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐, especially in rooms where they have no seat at the table. Be the voice they entrusted to youโspeak with courage, stand with conviction, and never forget that your duty is to protect the welfare of those you represent.
I am deeply grateful to our administrators for their guidance and trust throughout this journey: Rev. Fr. Richard Lachica, Rev. Fr. Eugene D. Lucerna II, Dr. Roxanne Cabarubias, Rev. Fr. Raffy C. Carnal, Dr. Jocelyn Ynchausti, Dr. Joe-ann V. Jonota, Dr. Raffy C. Alayon, Dr. Milagros Aurea Sabidalas, the deans of every college, especially Dr. Anoc, Dr. Soliman, and Dr. Magbanua, as well as our former deans, Dr. Degillo and Maโam Jo. Thank you for supporting student leadership and allowing us to serve with purpose and integrity.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ, whose guidance and unwavering support ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ throughout this journey. Your wisdom, patience, and belief in our potential have helped shape not only our work but also the people we have become. Thank you for leading with purpose and for inspiring us to serve with integrity and dedication.
To my fellow SSAO officers, thank you for your patience, dedication, and resilience throughout this journey. We faced disagreements, conflicts, and moments that tested our unity and character, but you ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฎ๐. You continued to show up, carry the weight of responsibility, and ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐. Beyond the titles we held, I am grateful for your commitment to the students we vowed to represent. Thank you for not turning your backs on the cause and for proving that ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐.
One realization that constantly inspired me was the kind of people who choose to serve in this office. SSAO officers are not ordinary students. They are ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐๐, ๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐๐, ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ท๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐๐, ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐, ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐. They come from different walks of life yet share one purpose: to serve something greater than themselves.
Leadership is not about holding a position, but about being a ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐โlistening, serving, and placing studentsโ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ of every decision. Let no student ever feel too small to matter or too different to belong, for this school is built not by its walls, but by the hearts within it.
What many did not know was that this year carried destructive battles as well. We lost someone deeply important to the office. It felt like losing a pilot mid-flight and suddenly being forced to take control of the aircraftโwith no manual, no instructions, and no certainty of landing safely.
Yet despite the grief, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
Events were organized. Responsibilities were fulfilled. Hearts grew weary, faith was tested, but we stood firm. Organizing Sangyaw, Intramurals, PRISAACK, and many other activities became a defining moments of our journey. Through it all, we were reminded that SSAO officers are students tooโyoung people ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
We learned that leadership does not mean bowing to authority without question. ๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐น๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ. Teachers, administrators, officers, and students alike remain accountable for their actions. ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต, and authority should never place anyone beyond criticism.
There were moments when our principles were tested and our loyalties questioned. ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ณ๐๐น ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐๐น ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐. From donation drives and volunteer work to seminars, school activities, attendance monitoring, and countless documents, every task was carried out by officers who willingly gave their time, energy, and hearts in the name of service.
Because leadership was never about compliance.
๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
The challenges we faced did not break us; ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐. They strengthened our resolve to defend the rights, welfare, and privileges of every KCCian. Whether checking attendance sheets or organizing grand events, the principle remained the same: every student must remain at the center of everything we do.
As I leave this office, ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒโfor the victories, failures, lessons, friendships, and even the battles that shaped us.
This office have contributed so many defining moments of my life. It taught me to keep an open mind, to listen before judging, and to ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ. Leadership is not merely about making decisions; it is about understanding perspectives, extending grace, and believing in the potential of others.
Though my time here ends, traces of me will remainโnot in titles or photographs, but in ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ. The fingerprints left behind should remind future leaders that this office exists for the students and bends to no individual, no pressure, and no personal interest.
KCCians, you have been more than the people we served; you have been my companions in this journey. Thank you for your trust, your courage, and your belief that change is always possible.
And I say, lead with humility. Serve with courage. ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐.
And when history remembers our names, may it not remember the positions we held, but the ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ.
Thank you.
๐๐ฏ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐ค๐ฆ,
๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐. ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ
- ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑโ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ
