Taking #moonshots
Take moonshots. Mga suntok sa buwan. Life is about being brave and taking that one in a million shot.
My speech below was given to the batch 2014 graduates of the SCS School of Computer Studies of MSU-IIT. I am publishing it now because looking back after 3 years when I gave this speech, it reminded me that here I am, still taking moonshots. Still learning and thriving.
Thank you for the wonderful introduction. Ms. Aloha, thank you for inviting me and giving me an excuse to visit Iligan and taste beef randang, marang, and the famous lechon of Iligan, which competes with Cebu.
Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology School of Computer Studies staff, guests, parents, teachers, good morning.
Dear graduates of MSUIIT SCS, you have levelled up! Welcome to Chapter Two. If you are listening to this speech, then you’ve already survived so much.
Class of 2014, good work! Job well done! Congratulations!
While I was preparing this speech, I made it a point to visit a small cafe and work on my speech there for two reasons. First, because it was good to get out of my home office and get some caffeine. Second, it was inspiring to see graduating students just like you working together for their final projects.
And we—your mentors, parents, teachers, friends, and family —we do see your efforts…
We’ve seen you sweat through your classes and exams every single day. You woke up early for your first period and you tried to stay awake programming your projects and writing your reports.
You survived your monthly allowance set by Nanay and Tatay and stretched what you have in your pocket to include impromptu binging of fries and ice cream at McDonald’s, while trying to save up for materials for a class project that your group had to deliver.
You had your little joys, too. You saved up for that trip to Centrio with your classmates over the weekend because YOLO (you only live once), just so you can survive the stress of burning the midnight oil and preparing for a thesis defense with Sir Cabido the next day.
Congratulations, Class 2014, on your well-deserved honor today!
To the parents and guardians:
Isn’t this the best gift for you and your family? For now, makaginhawa namo gamay. Graduate najud inyong kinakusgan. Your 20 years, more or less, supporting your beloved son or daughter has finally paid off! And yet your role in helping them figure out their lives moving forward has just begun.
You can now proudly announce to friends and family that you have a proud graduate this year.
Congratulations to you, dear parents and guardians!
One of my fondest memories of college was about our guidance counselor weeks before my own graduation.
Our block was cramming to finish all our requirements for graduation and one item that came up on our list was for graduates to visit the guidance counselor.
Now, visiting the guidance counselor is one horrible experience because
1. It brings back memories of my high school in IDS, of duranta cleaning when we were late or did something terrible in class and
2. Most of the guidance counselors I encountered in my lifetime have not really been very approachable
But there we were. Blockmates. In a crowded room with armchairs for seats. Answering a bunch of papers with a Mongol number 2.
That exam was supposed to determine our strength and aptitude. I could not remember what my results were but it was this question on the sheet that I could still remember, a question staring at me right in the face:
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Back then, when I was asked that question, I knew I was going to be a mom. And I did not look the counselor in the eye and say that. I just sort of screamed internally — Yeah! I’m going to rock motherhood! But it turns out, I was nearsighted.
Because I became a mom a year after graduation. While I was still jobless. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy. And being a Cum Laude in my batch, it was a disappointing situation to be in.
Despite all the flowery words that I wrote on that essay, the truth is that it’s either I could predict what I could become or I was dead wrong on what I imagined myself to be. Because the clear fact is that — you are a work in progress. Your views, your priorities, your goals will change along the way.
I may have predicted that I would become a mom. But I never predicted that I would become an business owner and a dakilang volunteer/activist.
Now, I want to request you dear graduates to imagine your own answers to the question. I want you to imagine where you would be 10 years from now. Let’s take a moment to reflect on that question.
What do you see in your mind? Are you now a successful developer working in a multinational firm? Are you a call center agent working night shifts while trying to grow a family? Are you a BPO consultant earning five figures per month? Are you an educator like your noble teachers in SCS? Or are you as clueless as I was 10 years ago?
Dear graduates, I am a time traveler and right now, I am standing beside the future that you are imagining you would be in. And this time traveler here speaking in front of you has one message.
Take moonshots. Mga suntok sa buwan. Life is about being brave and taking that next shot at success.
This is the same message that Larry Page of Google endorses through their Google X projects. This is the same message that I would tell to my little seven year old boy when he reaches your age. This is the same message that I wished someone told me after graduation. And this message is my sincerest wish for you, dear graduates.
Take moonshots. Mga suntok sa buwan. Life is about being brave and taking that next shot at success.
We had a reunion some weeks ago because a classmate visited from Canada. When I told my classmates I will be with you guys today as a speaker, their reaction was — You should tell them the truth about being an adult and about how sucky it is.
I laughed at their reaction and most of the millennials would agree with that.
But for now forget what the old ones say because this day is about you and not about us or the generations ahead of you. This is about you. You are here to claim your victory. And to open your Chapter Two. As what Ellie of the animation Up would say — Adventure is out there!
Let me show you a quick calculation on how many moonshots you can take: Supposing you are productive and can contribute to the society until 60 years of age. Right now, you’re around 20 years old. That would give 40 productive years. 40 multiplied by 12 months is 480.
Let’s say it takes 3 months to work on a big project — any project that you set your heart into: 480 divided 3 is 160.
One hundred and sixty. That’s how many moonshots you can take. That’s how many chances you have at making something big.
Want your dream job? Send out a resume. No, send out a hundred. Take a moonshot.
Want to your own startup business? Build. Collaborate. Learn. Take a moonshot.
Want to travel to your dream destination? Get a passport. An interview at the Embassy. Take a moonshot.
Want tell someone you love them? Get the guts. Approach her. Take a moonshot.
You have a hundred and sixty shots once you step out this gym. Go make the best of these moonshots, dear graduates.
Taking moonshots means being brave enough to step up your game and follow your dreams. And I learned these while building up my little social media agency and being a volunteer/activist.
Take a moonshot at entrepreneurship.Mag negosyo ta.
If you feel that entrepreneurial itch, scratch it. Satisfy that. But my advice is this: Get an idea how it is to work at a corporation first. Be employed first because by then, you’d be able to compare which one works for you. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone.
Employment teaches you about following rules. Entrepreneurship teaches you about defying them.
Employment teaches you about fitting in. Entrepreneurship teaches you about standing out.
Employment teaches you rhythm and synchronisation. Entrepreneurship teaches you the beauty in unpredictability and chaos.
And to my fellow women in the crowd, just because you’re a lady doesn’t mean you don’t have what it takes to make big decisions that entrepreneurship entails. You can too. Mag-negosyo sad ta. Because your future husband should not take the place of an investment or a bank account. As Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook would say — “Lean in, ladies.”
Graduates, when you do launch your venture. Think international. The internet is borderless. Your location should not limit what you can do. But do remember that putting yourself out there means that you are also taking risks. Eduate yourself on what it takes to have a businesses that spans beyond Iligan City. Or the Philippines.
Take a moonshot through volunteerism and activism.Mag volunteer sad ta.
Where were you when the Sendong wrecked Iligan City back in late 2011.
Me? I was in Cebu, monitoring the situation via social media. And when the first signs of disaster showed up, it was gut feeling that made me and the rest of the Iligan Bloggers organize the One for Iligan campaign.
Yes, One for Iligan — the tagline was a call for help was born from me. It was an idea that sprung up because of the desire to volunteer, to help even if I was islands away from Iligan City.
We generated almost one million pesos from the campaign which was used to help with relief operations by the society. The devastation was unexpected. The volunteerism was realtime. The response was overwhelming. And we used the power of the internet and social media to ask for help from all over the world and coordinate the relief operations.
The rest of the campaign’s story was transferred to the hands of the Iliganons all over the world who wanted to help the Sendong victims in Iligan City with disaster, emergency response, and relief.
Now when I see tshirts with the One for Iligan logo, it reminds me of the fact that it was merely an idea in my head. Translated as a call to action. To executed as a plan to help and to change the lives of other people.
You can take that moonshot for volunteerism and activism, too. The internet is without borders.
Use your #selfies on Instagram to change the world. Use your #100happydays on Facebook to touch other people’s lives. Use your blogs on Tumblr to champion a cause. Take that moonshot and help others too.
Take a moonshot and innovate yourself.Mag tuon pud ta beyond what we are taught in our schools.
And because the internet knows no borders, education is the same. There is no excuse for you not to learn a new skill, a new language, or do innvovate yourself to launch a new career. The internet is flooded with opportunities for you.
I know a nurse who now leads startups and had won various competitions in the Philippines and around Southeast Asia.
I know a finance graduate who organizes local learning events, partners up with local telcos, and codes Ruby.
I know a college dropout who owns a coding company and hires other coders to deliver projects.
You — Information Technology, Information System, Electronics and Computer Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Electronics Technology, Computer Science graduates, You are all programmed for success. The internet is borderless and it empowers all of us. Your background does not matter. And we take no excuses.
Go ahead and take a moonshot.
Taking moonshots does not just apply for bravery in your career. It applies health, spiritually, friendship, and even in love. Try harder. Take a moonshot.
Years from now, you’ll look back at your own graduation and probably would not remember that you had two sets. You would not remember your graduation guest speaker. Because I did not remember mine.
And you don’t have to remember this speech. You don’t have to remember me. Today will be another entry in your #throwbackthursday. Today will be another update on your Facebook timeline.
But you’re going to look back to this day and remember how clueless you were on what you will become. And then you will remember to take moonshots. #moonshots
Take moonshots. Mga suntok sa buwan. Life is about being brave and taking that next shot at success.
When you’re faced with the question on where you will be 10 years from now? It’s as if someone is asking you what you will be doing with your next 40 shots at success.
You’re going to take a deep breath. Count to three. And take a step forward to launch your first moonshot. And we will all be there to celebrate your day. Your victory. And then you’re going to update your Facebook or whatever social media you will be using in the years to come. #moonshot. We’ll all be there stalking you. ;)
So, graduates of 2014, welcome to your first launch, let’s give everybody — your teachers, your mentors, friends, classmates — a huge round of applause. Congratulations!