LC Business Education

By a proud Lourdes College BSBA alumna.

I didn’t expect to feel emotional standing at the back of that hall.

I work in a bank now. Most days are spent dealing with numbers, deadlines, clients, and the kind of calm professionalism people expect when they trust you with their finances. You learn to stay composed. Sentiment is not exactly part of the job.

But when the processional music started on April 26, 2026, something in me softened. Quietly. Unexpectedly. The way it does when you return to a place that once shaped who you are.

That Saturday morning, I drove back to Lourdes College for Commencement Day. Not because I had to. Not because anyone asked me to. I was on vacation, and I thought of visiting the school. I watched the group of students walk across the same stage I once crossed years ago, carrying dreams, fears, and hopes they probably could not fully explain yet.

I stood near the back, away from the cameras and proud families holding flowers and phones in the air. And as I watched the graduates enter the hall, memories slowly came back to me. Not all at once, but gently, one after another.

The Part of College Nobody Really Talks About

People love celebrating graduation. What they rarely talk about are the years it takes to get there.

My time in the BSBA program at Lourdes College was not perfect or easy. There were semesters when I balanced part-time work with a full academic load. I remember attending early morning classes exhausted, surviving on coffee, little sleep, and determination.

There were group projects where I carried more work than I should have, and there were moments when I quietly depended on my classmates more than I wanted to admit.

I still remember one exam score that completely discouraged me. It was not failing, but it was low enough to make me question myself. I sat alone outside the classroom staring at the paper, wondering if I was really capable of finishing the program. Wondering if maybe I just wasn’t good enough.

Then one of my professors approached me. Strict. Serious. Not the type who gave comforting words easily.

And yet, that professor told me something I have never forgotten:

“You’re not struggling because you’re incapable. You’re struggling because you’re growing. There’s a difference.”

At the time, I nodded without fully understanding it. Now I do.

What Lourdes College Gave Me

Lourdes College may not be the biggest university, but what it gives its students is something deeply personal: people who genuinely care.

My professors knew my name. They noticed when I was absent. They challenged me because they believed I could do more, even during moments when I no longer believed in myself.

The BSBA program taught me practical skills, of course. It taught me how to analyze financial statements, communicate professionally, and think critically under pressure. It taught me how to speak confidently in meetings and how to make decisions carefully and responsibly.

But more than the technical knowledge, college shaped my character.

It taught me resilience.

Real college life humbles you. It teaches you how to continue even when you are tired, uncertain, or discouraged. It reminds you that growth is uncomfortable, and that failure, embarrassment, and pressure are often part of becoming better.

Some of the most important lessons I learned did not come from textbooks. They came from difficult weeks, overwhelming deadlines, and moments when I wanted to give up but chose not to.

And looking back now, I realize that was the point all along.

I didn’t just leave Lourdes College with a diploma. I left with a stronger version of myself.

Then and Now

When I graduated years ago, I walked across that stage carrying both excitement and fear. I had a diploma in my hand, but no certainty about what life would look like after college.

Today, I work in banking, helping clients plan, protect, and grow what they have worked hard to build. And every single day, I still carry lessons I learned from Lourdes College, not only the technical knowledge, but also the discipline, patience, professionalism, and integrity that the school helped develop in me.

I am no longer the same person who once sat outside a classroom doubting herself over an exam score.

Thankfully, I grew beyond that version of myself.

To the Class of 2026

As I watched the graduates on April 26, I wanted to tell each of them something important:

Be proud of yourself. But do not stop growing. Your diploma is not the finish line. It is only the beginning.

Life after college will challenge you in ways school never could. There will be disappointments, difficult jobs, rejection, delays, and moments when you question your path. There will be seasons where your hard work feels unnoticed.

But your degree still matters. Because it represents perseverance. It represents the days you kept going despite exhaustion, stress, self-doubt, and uncertainty. It proves that you can commit to something difficult and finish it.

And that matters more than you realize.

Carry that confidence with you.

Why I Came Back

I returned to Lourdes College that day because gratitude deserves to be expressed.

The people and the institution that helped shape my life deserve to know that they made a difference. And watching a new generation begin their journey felt like the perfect reminder of how far I had come too.

As I looked at the graduates in their black togas, searching the crowd for familiar faces, I saw pieces of my younger self in them; hopeful, nervous, and standing at the edge of an unknown future.

Back then, I had no idea where life would take me. But somehow, step by step, I found my footing. And I believe they will too.

Congratulations, Lourdes College Class of 2026. The world may not know it yet, but it is ready for you.