On May 23, the Dr. Juanito Bruno A. Gymnasium transformed into a hall of pride and tradition as Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) held its Hooding Ceremony for the graduate and law candidates of 2025. This meaningful event, held as part of the university’s 80th Commencement Exercises, recognized the academic milestones of Juris Doctor, Master’s, and Doctorate degree candidates.
The ceremony began with the formal imposition of academic hoods, an age-old symbol of advanced learning. Each hood represented not just the program completed but the journey of perseverance, balance, and sacrifice that each candidate had undertaken.
The event’s inspirational speaker, Atty. Eduardo F. Sanson, former Dean of the College of Law and former Vice President for Resource Generation, delivered a heartfelt and stirring message. Known for his wit and warmth, he opened with light humor: “In my class, everyone remembers the jokes and nothing about the lessons.” Yet his speech quickly shifted into a deep reflection on the meaning of education, service, and humility.
“For the law students, there were endless nights of reading volumes of books, cases to be digested, and class recitations that could leave one humiliated,” he said. “For graduate students, the reports, thesis writing, revisions, and oral defenses were like daily battles, all while juggling work and family.”
Atty. Sanson emphasized the importance of gratitude. “Let us not forget to thank those who helped us along the way — our professors, advisers, families, and most of all, God,” he said. He shared a poignant personal memory: “When I told my mother I passed the Bar, she cried. I asked her why, and she said, ‘I prayed for you, and my prayers were answered.’ “All the while I thought that I passed because I studied well,” he said. “But I realized I passed because someone prayed for me.”
He also shared the story of a law student who forgot his promise to dedicate his success to Allah after passing the Bar, only to find out that he had passed by a single point. “And all he could say then was: MashaAllah. Alhamdulillah,” Atty. Sanson added.
The central message of his speech was a challenge to the graduates. “Please do not let the degrees you have earned today get into your head. Instead, keep them in your heart. Use them to help others,” he said. “When knowledge is carried in the heart, it transforms into empathy, kindness, and love.”
In a story that captured the essence of his message, he described a 400-meter race where one runner stopped to help another who had fallen. “The ones who finished first were winners,” he said. “But the one who turned back was a hero.”
He ended his speech with a hopeful reminder. “With the degrees you have earned, you are given a kind of superpower. Superpowers are not for self-glory. They are meant to serve,” he said. “Be the kind of superhero who lifts others up. That is what makes a degree meaningful.”
WMSU President Dr. Ma. Carla A. Ochotorena, along with the university’s vice presidents, deans, and faculty, led the academic procession and conferred the hoods upon each graduate. The colorful academic hoods, worn with pride, served as symbols of the knowledge gained and the responsibility now carried by each recipient.
As the academic hoods were conferred on each candidate, the message of the day became clear. In a world that often values titles more than action, WMSU graduates are being called not just to succeed but to lead with purpose and compassion. Their degrees are not just honors. They are a call to serve. (LMP-PAO)
