GRADUATION TESTIMONIAL SPEECH

(BY RUTCEL CANZANA SALCEDO)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Guests, Beloved School Administrators, Families and Friends, Fellow Graduates,, Good Morning.

    This is indeed a momentous occasion for all of us marking the beginning of a journey towards a new career.  We have achieved a milestone in our lives which is truly a reason to celebrate.

    You see, this was not an easy journey since day one.  I must say I didn’t know I was in for a really big challenge, physically and mentally.  At first, I wasn’t sure if I made the right decision to change careers during the peak of my life, leave my job and study again.  I wasn’t sure if I could handle the pressures of being a student again after so many years of working in the corporate world.  I was asking myself if I will be able to cope with the stress of being reprimanded in front of the class – much less being shouted at inside the kitchen.

    Oh yes, this is an entirely different world for me.  Where I came from, I was the boss.  I was the one giving orders, I reprimand my subordinates, I point out their mistakes, I give them memos.

    But here, my entire universe has turned upside down.  I may have stood out and excelled in my batch in the end ( due to sheer determination to learn and succeed), but I too, like you, had a hard time with chef Gerry’s world-renowned exams, my sauce also coagulated, and I could never forget my undercooked chicken wing.  I still bear the fruits of my labor in the form of scars from burns on my arms, but it was worth it, as well as the entire experience.

    You all know I belonged to the infamous Batch 3 (you know what that means), but amidst all the late night sermons of Chef Gerry, which by now, I already know by heart, I realized that this whole experience is all worth it.  I think I became an even better person after this extraordinary ordeal.  Funny, but until now every time I hold a knife and a cutting board, I can almost feel chef Gerry hovering behind me (as if ready to pounce).  Every time I fry a chicken, I can hear Chef Faith’s booming voice inside my head.

    All of these are the results of the kind of rigid training and quality education I received from this institution.  In the end, I learned valuable lessons which will take me to places.  

    To Chef Gerry and Chef Faith, I am taking this opportunity to thank you for the valuable and high quality education that I and my fellow graduates received.  Most of all, thank you for your passion and dedication to teaching.  I sincerely hope we did and will do your efforts justice.  Thank you for teaching the importance of good attitude and behavior fro I know that this good value will help set us apart in this industry.

    To TESDA, thank you for this rare opportunity and for supporting us, your scholars and our school in the entire duration of our training.  Thank you for our allowances… We love you TESDA! 

    To my batch mates and fellow graduates, do not stop climbing and reaching for that dream for your greatest competitor is yourself, the only thing that will stop you is your self-doubt and what will make you succeed is your determination, hard work and character.  Thank you for the time well-spent and new-found friendships.  And as we continue our journey, let us not forget the all the lessons we were taught.  Never stop reaching for our dreams no matter where we are or how long it takes.  It’s not our age or our families which will hold us back. As long as we have that dream, we have to work hard to live it.  It’s never too late for each one of us to become executive chefs in the future.

    To all of us, congratulation and I wish each and every one success!
    Thank You!

“MY DREAM STARTED WHEN I ENTERED THAT RED GATE AT 15 SAGING STREET.... IT IS NOW A  REALITY.”

By Chef Jill Jasmine L. Manaay

I have been through a lot of courses when I was in my college years. I found it hard to chose what fits me. It was almost trial and error. Tried. Failed. But I have never given it up.

My life as a culinarian started when I entered at the red gate of Number 15 Saging Street, General Santos City. I’ve never thought my dreams would start there. Dreams that would surely become a reality.

 As a culinarian was not easy for me. Like most people, it was a bumpy roads,with ups and downs. As I commenced, I started as an ON-THE JOB-TRAINEE. Doing any kind of jobs that would give me a start. After my OJT, I was hired by the company.

 I’ve strived hard and exerted much effort. I’ve experienced being put down by my co-worker if they saw you are doing well. I’ve also experienced doing works without  a rest day. add to that, being berated by superiors. As if there were no things done right. Sometimes driven to the point I felt I would gave up.

Waking up very early to report for work only to be berated again. The humiliation crept on me whenever I was put down and thought of quitting  the job. But how about my dreams? Would they remain as dreams? Could they not be reality? I thought positively though they were glaring negative.

 Hard work, Perseverance, Dedication in work and more faith in God were my inspirations to push hard. Things changed. I started as a trainee at a four star hotel and at a first class restaurant. Late, I became overall in charge of the pastry and cold kitchen production in the said company. Before, I relied from my superior for instructions, now my superior had trusted me of the things I have done.

And now, a glimpse of a brighter future flicker- opportunity to work abroad. This is it, I thought. I did not stop believing myself I can do it. I didn’t quit. And never give up.

And before I end this, I would like  to grab this chance to thank my parents for not giving up on me, for their full support and their belief in my capacity that I can make it. To Jan Louis for being there always. And Especially To chef faith and chef Gerry Arbis, thanks for trusting me, honing  me and supporting me. For those at Gerardo’s, we owe these all from you. Thank you for your trust in our ability as one aspiring chef someday. Thank you for not giving up on us. Long live Gerardo’s. God bless us all.