By: Kathlean Pallorina
In Photos: Richard Aquino and Jairizze Nicole Gonzales the Summa Cum Laude of Batch 2025. Photo Courtesy: Allen Matthew Velasquez from The LANCE.
On the 5th of June, the commencement exercise of Batch 2025 at Solaire Resort Entertainment City, in Parañaque to celebrate the years of hard work, resilience, and sacrifices.
As graduates from diverse programs don their togas and march proudly across the stage, they carry with them not only their academic achievements but also the values of Deus, Patria, Letran—ready to face the world with courage, integrity, and purpose.
In a world where titles are a crown, it is the sacrifice that defines the legacy.
For some, the greatest passion lies in being an artist, pouring their soul into every brushstroke—word, chasing meaning and beauty like fireflies in the dark. Yet for others, or perhaps the same, it is the academic pursuit that gives shape to that passion, insight, and the tools to deepen and sustain their creative drive.
While all aspires to graduate with titles in their names, there are those that stood out—not just for the medals they wore, but for the quiet resilience, unwavering dedication, and purpose that defined their journey.
Two names stood out in excellence: Jairizze Nicole Gonzales, and Richard Aquino.
As the Rising of Tides
Even before entering Colegio, students are their parent’s children and their own person. Having different identities from friends and family, or even within themselves, students already wrestled and juggled between responsibilities.
For Richard Aquino, the Summa Cum Laude from College of Education, life wasn’t all about going to school, reviewing lectures, or oral presentations. For him, college life was a series of responsibilities both as a son, and a student. Life was a balance of faith, family, and future.
He wasn’t just a student—he was a music minister, a devoted kuya, and a caregiver for his aging, sick parents.
“I'm just a typical kuya of CoEd students, and a music minister in Santo Domingo, Santo Cristo, and Edsa Shrine,” he says humbly.
Behind that calm thought, was someone carrying more than most by having sleepless nights from hospital shifts, decisions made with his family’s well-being in mind, and a heart constantly choosing purpose over pain.
Also driven by purpose and passion, Jairizze Nicole Gonzales, Summa Cum Laude from the College of Business Administration and Accountancy in Tourism Management, entered college not seeking accolades—but peace.
Tired from the rigor of high school, she hoped Letran would offer rest. Instead, it shaped her.
“I became the student who stayed up until 3 a.m. and still made it to 7:30 classes,” she reflects.
“The leader who said yes even when scared. The dreamer who kept going despite the exhaustion.”
Before the recognition and applause, there was a girl running on caffeine, faith, and quiet hope.
And that was enough.
For both scholars, their journeys were marked not by ease, but by moments that tested them to their core.
Jairizze remembers the tears that followed the announcement of her summa cum laude.
“That title was never an expectation, it was a prayer,” she says. “It demanded action, sacrifice, and relentless effort.”
For Richard, the moment was overwhelming in its clarity.
“Sobra po akong humagulgol,” he recalls. “All of my hard work paid off. The title is a validation that I made the right decision to pursue my dreams.” he added.
But before these affirmations, there came the doubts.
For Richard, third year was particularly challenging. He was working on his thesis while handling his Professional Education and Major courses.
“Grabe po ang pagod at puyat,” he says. “My field study became an eye opener. I even thought I wasn’t aligned with teaching anymore.” But he surrendered his confusion to God—and moved forward.
Every year was a battle, he confesses. “Especially because I was also taking care of my parents... Minsan, pumasok ako na puyat from the hospital.” In his lowest moments, it was his friends who became his comfort, helping him manage his anxiety, reminding him he wasn’t alone.
Jairizze, too, battled exhaustion, especially in third year when leadership, academics, and personal life collided.
“Summa” wasn’t just a title, “It was a prayer,” she says. “From the very beginning, ‘Summa’ was the dream. And as with any dream, it demanded more than desire. It required action, sacrifice, and relentless effort.”
“I moved not because the path was always clear, but because stopping wasn’t an option when your purpose is greater than your fear.” she said with a deep sense of determination.
In these stories, “Summa” isn’t a destination. It’s a survival story. It’s choosing to continue when your body begs to stop. It’s showing up when all you want is to rest.
As the Water Meets the Sky
At the end of their time in Letran, Richard and Jairizze look ahead, not with entitlement, but with gratitude and purpose.
“Tomorrow full of hope,” says Richard when asked about the future he envisions. A future shaped by lessons learned in the halls of Letran and in hospital rooms, prayer corners, and long silent nights of sacrifice.
When asked what he would say to a younger Letranite filled with doubt, Richard’s words are raw and real.
“You are loved. You are valid. Okay lang umiyak. Basta umusad, at dapat ay natututo sa pagkakamali.”
Jairizze offers a similar encouragement as she said: “You’ll get there.” She affirms that doubt is normal, pressure is real—but so is growth. “Keep showing up.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to build a life where her achievements create real impact—in the way she leads, works, and uplifts others.
“I want to help others find their voice and worth, just as I found mine here.”
For both scholars, Letran was not just a school. It was a journey of becoming. Of faith. Of finding purpose in pressure.
Their stories are not just testaments to academic brilliance. They are odes to grace under pressure, to students who endured quietly but fought deeply, and to the legacy of the Colegio that nurtures not only minds, but hearts and futures.
As the water meets the sky, so do dreams meet their horizon.
And when the Letran’s tides rise again for future batches, may the waves carry them with encouragement, that success is not only about reaching the shore unharmed, it’s about surviving the storm.
As their chapters close and they begin anew, the tides quiet, but their ripples remain.
Because at Letran, they are not taught merely to survive.
They are molded to rise—not just above the storm, but toward the sky.