Post-Orsem Letter to My Freshmen

First of all, I don't know what drove me to write this. Maybe it's the fact that I'm alone in my room right now with my iTunes (with so many, many sad songs) playing in the background and the mood is just right. Maybe it's because of the possibility that I might not see many of you as much as I would like to over my last 2 years of stay in the Ateneo de Manila University. Maybe because my speech during our last processing session wasn't as good as I wanted it to be (I'm better at writing than I am at speaking) and I feel that I owe all of you much more. Regardless of reason, here it goes.

Today, I end my 19th year of existence and experience in this world. Given that three of those years I spent in the Ateneo, I'm sure I'm not exaggerating when I say I've been through a lot. Of all the things I've experienced though, I'm still convinced that the three dorm OrSems I've taken part of will eat up the greatest slice of the highlight reel of my life - and this one I've been with you guys is giving my own OrSem experience a run for its money. I hope I've given you guys a great OrSem run with memories you'll bring with you up until you yourselves part ways at graduation. I hope I've helped make this OrSem good enough that you yourselves would want to take part in it again next year as the helpful upperclassmen to the next batch of freshmen.

I pray I've helped in enough ways to foster reason enough for you all to stay close together as a small unit. Though it may be near impossible for a large batch such as yours to stay strong all the time, I'm certain that I can count on this group staying strong and intact throughout the years you have left in the dorm. Please be there to pick each other up and dust each other off. Trust me when I say that your roommates are going to be the ones who will be there for you at your lowest points and darkest hours in life and you'll want them to care enough to know how to cheer you up. I hope you grow as close together as I have with my roommates who don't even need to use words to cheer me up. I hope that in three years time when it'll be your batch video playing at the OrSem party, it won't matter whose pictures are flashing on the screen as all of you will be watching it together and the faces of those beside you are all you need to remember all the good times you've had over the years.

We're not the best FCC group this year for nothing guys. This group, as should be clear to all of you now as it was to me when we started, is a dream team for OrSem and any hero would have been incredibly lucky to have gotten this group. Thank God he gave this group to me and Lianne. I can't speak for Lianne but I'm pretty sure she would agree when I say you were worth waking up at 6 in the morning, all the late night meetings, and all the spent energy. You guys have awoken something in me that's been dormant for almost a year now. Although I'm not quite sure what it is exactly, it feels good to have again. You've given so much happiness over the week and a half we've been together and I can only hope I've at least returned the favor. I'm really sorry if you feel I've failed you in any way and I hope I can make it up to you over our next few encounters.

Please remember that I'll always be here to help should you need any, even after my departure from the Ateneo. As the small box in my Facebook page says, I'll forever be your hero - so long as you let me.