the way to the top

Exerpt from Butch Jimenez, Jr's Commencement Address
at the Silliman University 2006

You may ask, "How may I serve the country?" One way is actually quite simple. I will give it to you in one word. If you are great, if you are smart, if you are the best, then, please STAY. Just stay in the country. You would have actually done a great service to our country just by staying.

But if you can't stay, or don't want to stay, that's fine. If you want to make it out there in the world, that's a-ok with me. But I want to ask two things of you.

First, go out there and show the whole world how great the FIlipino is. No matter what field you are in, prove to the world how special we Filipinos truly are.

Second, don't just plan to COME back. Plan to GIVE back to your country. If you do that, if every Filipino out there in the world -- and there are millions of us already -- proves to everybody how great the Filipino is, and not only plans to come back, but actually plans to give back to this country, then in less than one generation, we will be an even greater nation.

I will end with what I told the UP students in 2003. You must be asking yourselves, "How do I reach my dreams?" or "How far can I go?" I told them this. In the last 42 years of my life, I have realized one thing: "There is no destination beyond the reach of those who walk with God."

So when you go out there in the world, take God's hand and walk with Him. Because when you do, whatever destination it is you are hoping to reach, if God walks with you and takes you through, there will be no destination beyond your reach.

To the graduating class of 2006, I will meet you at the top, and nowhere else!