Per Caritatem Ad Veritatem/ Through Charity to Truth

EXCERPT FROM THE SPEECH BY SCHOOLMISTRESS AT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MY SECONDARY SCHOOL:

"We do not acquire our strengths without effort and example. Rosian [that is how students at my school were called] strengths are formed by daily good habits fostered early in life during our formative years at school and consolidated by our teachers.

Yet, to some extent, the school epoch has been influenced by the rapid changes in our universe. This is inevitable. People have become more self-centred, less appreciative of what they have, taking life for granted and working only for material betterment. Therefore, we Rosians have a duty to make our Rosian strengths better known in order to counteract the current trend which is so detrimental to our future.

Notwithstanding our strengths, I find there are two characteristics that we need to work harder to achieve. The first is that we need to be more outward bound. Let me explain. As I have mentioned, Rosians are hard-working. However, as hard workers we seem to look only at the work at hand and often lack the spur of dynamism of forward thrust which is one of the main characteristics of the modern age. We need to widen our perspective and become more 'aggressive' in life, as a Rosian once said to me. Personally, I prefer to use the word 'progressive' in our approach to life.

In life, we need to make progress, to look forward and to be ready to assume responsibilities, without waiting for people to tell us. In simple words, we need to be leaders. Among Rosians who are still studying, we need to take an aggressive approach to boost our knowledge. In school, we should not wait for our teachers to spoonfeed us. Instead, we should look for knowledge and for ways to make progress in our studies. IN life, we need to look for ways to serve the society and for ways to learn how to do things."



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That was what guided me through my childhood years... well... Looking back now, seems that my 'values about life' indeed came from the above. Perhaps that's the power of education in childhood years... take care all the kids around you - they are the future!