BE STEADFAST in your faith, stand by the truth and give in to none except to a conviction of honor.
This was the message of UST Rector Rev. Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P as the University sent out 8,376 graduates during the Baccalaurate Mass last May 19 at the UST open field.
The graduating students were given “mission crosses” as a symbol of their lifelong mission to put their Thomasian education to good use outside UST. The Mass ended with the “ceremony of light.”
“Take these symbols of the cross and the light that will give you hope back to us and unto us,” Fr. Dagohoy said.
“Keep that light burning brightly. The light that has been given to you is the same light that was passed on from UST’s heroes, saints, honest and competent public servants, received by thousands of professionals and artists, and now unto you,” the Rector added as the graduating students lighted their candles.
The rites ended with a pyro-musical display accompanied by songs from British band Coldplay, followed by a recessional parade through the Arch of the Centuries.
The Faculty of Arts and Letters sent out the biggest number of candidates for graduation this year with 1,002, followed by the College of Commerce and Business Administration with 873 and the Faculty of Engineering with 844 candidates.
The number of graduating students per faculty and college this year is as follows: Accountancy (711), Architecture (308), Canon Law (11), Civil Law (102), Education (441), Faculty of Philosophy (17), Fine Arts and Design (565), Graduate School (260), Institute of Information and Computing Sciences (404), Medicine and Surgery (508), Music (62), Nursing (330), Pharmacy (624), Rehabilitation Sciences (269), Sacred Theology (58), Science (575) and Tourism and Hospitality Management (412).
