Tarlac State University President Dr. Arnold E. Velasco conferred the degrees of 40 graduates from the graduate programs of five colleges this morning, June 22, in a limited face-to-face ceremony at the TSU Gymnasium.
The second day of the 33rd Commencement Exercises for this month sent off six graduates from the doctoral programs and 34 from the master's programs.
The invited commencement speaker for this graduation is Dr. Maria Carmen P. Cuenco, Schools Division Superintendent of Tarlac City Schools Division.
Dr. Cuenco is a TSU alumna who completed a degree in Doctor of Education major in Educational Management in 1999. She also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the university in 2018.
The commencement speaker's message centered on this year's theme, "Transformative, Innovative, and Interconnected Higher Education, Paving the Way to Greater Heights and Stronger Tomorrows."
While addressing the graduates, she tasked them to be agents of change and influence others to become one, to never be contented with the status quo (challenge, cultivate, and innovate continuously), and to continue building their network.
"The last phrase of the theme is the better half actually because that is where the action is. That is what we need now. Pagkatapos tayong padapain ni COVID, pagwatak-watakin ng election campaign, at hagupitin ng walang humpay na oil price hikes, we need all the energy we can get to rise above these seemingly endless challenges,” she said.
Furthermore, she hopes that the graduates will initiate action in this direction as they have received their "transformative, innovative, and interconnected" education at TSU.
"Be catalysts of change. Yes, there will definitely be resistance. But remember this, initiate change with a heart – may puso. Because no matter how transformative, innovative, and interconnected your education was, it is doing things with a heart that matters most – may puso, may malasakit, may pagmamahal… 'Wag puro utak ang paiiralin. Madalas, kung hindi man lagi, kailangan din gamitan ng puso,” she added.
The breakdown of graduates is as follows:
|
COLLEGE |
No. of Graduates |
|
College of Teacher Education |
22 |
|
College of Business and Accountancy |
4 |
|
College of Engineering and Technology |
1 |
|
College of Public Administration and Governance |
11 |
|
College of Science |
2 |
