ARTLETS GRADUATES should match their achievements with a strong sense of compassion to uphold their values despite the world’s moral complexities, Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB) Dean Prof. Melanie Turingan-Marcos said.
In her speech during this year’s AB solemn investiture rites, Marcos urged graduating students to use their knowledge with kindness to lift others up, especially in situations where “spaces feel cold.”
“As you walk out into a world that is often complicated and deeply conflicted, remember that while your intellect is a tool, your character will always be your anchor,” Marcos said on Monday, June 8.
“You will face moments that [will] test your integrity, where people might tell you that success requires compromising your values. In these moments of doubt, I urge you: choose to be good. Choose to be kind. Keep your values intact.”
Citing the life of St. Thomas More, the faculty’s patron saint, Marcos said graduates should be reminded of how he held in higher regard the approval of God more than the word of man.
“[L]et your kindness be an unshakable truth in a world full of questions,” the AB dean told graduates.
The dean also praised the members of Class of 2026 for their resilience, describing their journey as a “roller coaster ride” due to the changing environment they encountered during their stay in the University.
She pointed out that the graduating class was blessed to have experienced the physical Thomasian welcome walk for the first time in three years since the University shifted to a full online setup due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Class of 2026 also experienced adjustments to the class ratio due to the hybrid setup, shifting from 50:50 to 70:30 of onsite and online classes.
Throughout these changes, Marcos noted that it was also the faculty that made the difference for this year’s graduating class.
“In their four years of stay, I am sure that when they (students) were struggling, there [were] members of our family that offered encouragement, modeled the kind of goodness and empathy which not only them, but the world so desperately needs,” she said.
“I proudly say, we did not just shape scholars, we nurtured good human beings.”
A total of 773 Artlets graduated from the 13 academic degree programs at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
The graduating class produced 21 summa cum laude, 146 magna cum laude and 230 cum laude, alongside 29 loyalty awardees.
Overall, the University of Santo Tomas will send off 11,523 graduates for the academic year 2025–2026. F
