MBA, PGD and BBA Graduation, 2006 wither batch
02 June 2006
On 1st June 2006, MBA, PGD and BBA students celebrated their graduation. We are happy to share with you one of the speeches that was given during that evening, written by Johnny Perez, BBA graduate.
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Good evening everyone, fellow graduates, students, teachers, honored guests, family and friends. Tonight is a very special evening for all of us, especially for us graduates, as we will all be embarking on another significant part of our journey into the real world of adult life. We have all been working very hard to arrive at this moment with all our sweat and all our tears, and we all definitely deserve this rite of passage. Everyone present here is a proud witness to what we have accomplished.
We Les Roches graduates are truly blessed to be able to enjoy what we have been, and still are, experiencing these past few years. We have our family’s undying love and support. We have our teachers’ dedication to train and educate us to the best of their knowledge and abilities. And of course, we also have our commitment to each other as friends, as well as our willingness to stick together and help one another to progress and be successful in our future endeavors. Our experiences and our education in Les Roches have opened up many doors for us and have presented us with numerous possibilities for our future, many of which we may have only just dreamed of in the past. I am truly grateful that I have chosen this path, as I have learned many valuable lessons that I will never forget. There has never been a moment, where I regretted coming to Les Roches, as my life here in school and all my experiences during my internships have enabled me to grow into the person I am today.
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Being away from our homes and our loved ones is extremely difficult, and it is something that we have all had to go through one way or another. We have been confronted with countless obstacles that we have had to overcome and we have faced endless decisions that we have had to make on our own. Everything that we have gone through has been in preparation for us to be able to stand on our own two feet and be independent, responsible and mature individuals. Regardless of whether our past decisions have been right or wrong, the most important thing was that we did not back down or turn away from our decisions. Instead, we each had the courage to face our problems head on and experience the pain and sacrifices necessary for us to grow and learn from both our successes and our mistakes. It is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning.
One thing that I have learned over the years is that for every decision that we make, there will be a consequence, and it may be good or bad, depending on what we decide to do. However, before we actually decide on anything, we must think about it carefully and thoroughly. We must first truly know what we want, and subsequently plan on how we can get to where we want to be. I learned that we cannot afford to make silly or half-baked decisions that will lead us nowhere or cause us to go around in circles, making us appear foolish and fickle-minded. This, of course, does not guarantee that all our choices will be the right ones, especially since there are many different paths to follow to reach our desired destinations. Even so, the mistakes that we make will help us learn and grow stronger and wiser in the future, so long as we have the patience and the determination to stand up once again and continue with our daily struggles with confidence and without fear. We must remember that the only people we can blame for unwise decisions are ourselves. We have all grown up and have become adults now. Hence, no one else can make our decisions for us, as we are now responsible for our own actions and our own future. We may be destined to achieve great things, but it is still up to us to decide whether we will actually make the first step and constantly move forward in achieving our goals.
As most of us will be entering the hospitality industry, I would also like to take a moment to talk about the core essence of hospitality, namely service. Service is a broad concept and may have
numerous different interpretations. To others, service is seen to be synonymous to a task; one that has neither valuable meaning nor greater purpose, except maybe to get the job done. To me, however, service encompasses much, much more, and I would like to take this opportunity to share my thoughts with all of you, and give you my own personal understanding of the meaning of service.
As most of us will be entering the hospitality industry, I would also like to take a moment to talk about the core essence of hospitality, namely service. Service is a broad concept and may have numerous different interpretations. To others, service is seen to be synonymous to a task; one that has neither valuable meaning nor greater purpose, except maybe to get the job done. To me, however, service encompasses much, much more, and I would like to take this opportunity to share my thoughts with all of you, and give you my own personal understanding of the meaning of service.
I believe that service is not only an act of giving, but it is also an act of love. It is something that originates from within ourselves, which we are capable of offering to others. Service is not about getting or expecting something in return, and is therefore not selfish in nature. Rather, it is an expression of our inherent generosity, and it is the willingness to help others with open arms, without prejudice or judgment. Genuine service comes from the heart and is not half meant. Thus, it involves your whole self and commitment, to the point that it comes naturally and is instinctive.
People might say that serving others is similar to slavery and is embarrassing, as it is perceived to be reserved for the lower classes of society. However, I say that serving others is a pleasure, and I am motivated to help others in any way that I can without shame or feelings of inferiority. In fact, I am proud to be of service to others, as I see it to be a noble profession. In some countries, such as mine, we do have nannies, helpers and drivers to aid us in our daily tasks, and it is amazing to see the dedication they have in providing their employers with a wide range of services that may often be taken for granted. They often work all day long and receive low pay, and they are usually separated from their own families so that they can provide more convenience to their employers’ families. I am humbled by their sacrifices, and I acknowledge and value all the countless hours they have spent in making life better and easier for other people.
In the same way, our future careers in hospitality will require that same passion and hard work, and we will all be subject to similar conditions. I do not wish to discourage anyone from entering into the hospitality industry with this statement, but I would like to emphasize that service is a serious and professional business, and it needs a great deal of commitment. It may also be useful to remember that although we may be offering services to other people, there will always be other people providing services to us, whether we are travelling, shopping, or using any public service. Therefore, it could be said that service is actually very similar to a cycle because it allows everyone to go on with their lives more easily, as we help one another and are dependent on each other for the fulfillment of our needs.
Of course, it may oftentimes be difficult and stressful for us to accommodate the needs of other people, apart from our own obligations. However, that sacrifice makes it all the more meaningful and satisfying, especially if it means that we are able to make a difference in other people’s lives. In the hospitality industry, we do not only have to serve the customers in a routine manner, but we are also expected to enhance their experience by incorporating our own essence and personality, making each encounter unique. Thus, providing warm and sincere service would almost guarantee delighting our customers and make them feel well taken care of and valued, giving us a sense of achievement and fulfillment.
Service is a quality that we all have within ourselves. We must be able to reach into those inner depths and bring out that potential. Service will always be a part of our lives, no matter if it is us providing it or receiving it; and if we have a choice to offer our own contributions, I do not see any reason why we should not take the opportunity to do so. My hope is that my vision on the spirit of service may also inspire you to live selflessly and motivate you to give a part of yourself in everything that you do.
To conclude, I would just like to say thank you to everyone; to all our teachers for their constant devotion and their genuine concern for our growth and development; to our family and friends for always showering us with love and support, always encouraging us to be the best that we can be. And of course, I would like to say thank you to all my fellow graduates for all the happy and special moments that we have shared together. You have all made these past few years memorable for me, and I would not be the person I am today if it were not for all of you in my life. Wherever we may all end up, no matter which country or which industry, I am sure that we will all remember each other and cherish what we have gone through together, as students here in Les Roches. Congratulations to everyone and I wish you all good luck and all the best in your future lives and careers! May you all continue to strive for excellence and accomplish your goals and dreams…Thank you!
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