Oxford taught me about bravery Ti Oxford ti nangisuro kaniak iti kinatured.

Holywell Music Room, Oxford University Holywell Music Room, Unibersidad ti Oxford

Good afternoon everyone, Naimbag a malemyo amin,

It is a great honour to speak today on behalf of this class. Dakkel unay a pakaidayawak ti agsao ita iti nagan daytoy a klase.

This moment means so much to all of us, because we know it did not come easily. Dakkel unay ti kaipapanan daytoy a kanito kadatayo amin, gapu ta ammotayo a saan a nalaka a dimteng daytoy.

We know what it took to get here, and what it took to remain here. Ammotayo no kasano a nakadanontayo ditoy, ken no kasano a nagtalinaedtayo ditoy.

There is an extraordinary weight to graduating from Oxford. Adda nadagsen a responsibilidad a kakuykuyog ti panaggraduar manipud iti Oxford.

Oxford is not just a university. Ti Oxford ket saan laeng a maysa nga unibersidad.

It is a name that carries history, excellence, and expectation. Maysa daytoy a nagan nga addaan ikut a pakasaritaan, kinaekselente, ken panangnamnama.

For many of us, it was something distant, almost untouchable — something we admired from afar before we ever imagined we might belong to it. Kadagiti adu kadatayo, isu dayta ti maysa a banag nga adayo, dandani di maasitgan — maysa a banag a dinaydayawtayo manipud iti adayo sakbay pay a napanunottayo a mabalin a maibilangtayto iti dayta.

And yet, here we are. Nupay kasta, adtoytayo.

Not because the road was easy, but because we kept walking it. Saan a gapu ta nalaka ti dalan, no di ket gapu ta nagtultuloytayo a nagna iti dayta a dalan.

For me, this moment is deeply personal. Para kaniak, daytoy a kanito ket personal unay.

English is not my first language. Saan nga Ingles ti umuna a pagsasaok.

I am from the Karay-a ethnolinguistic tribe. Naggapuak iti Karay-a nga etnolingguistiko a tribu.

I grew up with a speech defect. Dimmakkelak nga addaan iti depekto ti panagsao.

And the first book I ever had in English was an Oxford dictionary. Ket ti umuna a libro iti Ingles nga adda kaniak idi ket maysa nga Oxford dictionary.|

So to be here now, at Oxford, speaking on this ceremony today, is something I could never have imagined when I first struggled through English words. Isu a ti kaaddak ita ditoy, iti Oxford, nga agsasaok ita iti daytoy a seremonia, ket maysa a banag a di pulos immapay iti panunotko idi damo a marigatanak kadagiti balikas iti Ingles.

It is a full-circle moment that humbles me deeply. Dayta ket maysa a panagsubli iti punganay a mamagbalin kaniak a kasla bassit unay.

A child who first encountered English through an Oxford dictionary is now graduating from Oxford. Ti ubing a damo a nakaammo iti Ingles babaen ti maysa nga Oxford dictionary ket aggraduar itan manipud iti Oxford.

That is something I will carry with gratitude for the rest of my life. Dayta ket maysa a banag nga itugotko a siyayaman agingga iti sibibiagak.

But while that is my story, what moves me most today is the story of this class. Ngem nupay dayta ti istoriak, ti pudno a makatignay unay kaniak ita nga aldaw ket ti istoria daytoy a klase.

Because when I look at us, I do not just see achievement. Ta no kitaek ti klasetayo, saan laeng a balligi ti makitak.

I see bravery. Makitak ti kinatured.

Real bravery. Pudno a kinatured.

The kind that often goes unseen. Ti kita ti kinatured a masansan a saan a makita.

The kind that does not announce itself. Ti kita a saan nga isu met laeng ti mangipakdaar iti bagina.

The kind that shows up quietly, in the decision to continue. Ti kita a makita a naulimek, iti panangikeddeng iti panagtultuloy latta.

Some of our classmates know what it means to travel 48 hours by train, and then take their seat in this room. Ammo ti sumagmamano kadagiti kaklaseantayo no kasano ti agbiahe iti 48 nga oras babaen ti tren, ket kalpasanna, agpuesto iti tugawda iti daytoy a kuarto.

Some crossed two, three, even four countries, amidst the war, to be in this seat here today. Dagiti dadduma, binallasiwda ti dua, tallo, ken adda pay uppat a pagilian, iti tengnga ti gubat, tapno addada laeng iti tugawda iti daytoy nga aldaw.

Some know what it means to return to a place where there may be days, at times weeks, without heating. Adda dagiti dadduma a makaammo no kasano ti agbiag iti maysa a lugar iti sumagmamano nga aldaw, a no dadduma agpaut pay iti sumagmamano a lawas,  nga awananda iti pagpabara a pangpaksiat iti nakaro a lamiis

To live in uncertainty, to try to rest in uncertainty, to keep going in uncertainty. Ti agbiag iti let-ang ti awan kasiguraduanna, ti mangikarkarigatan nga aginana iti let-ang ti awan kasiguraduanna, ken ti agtultuloy latta kadagiti aramid iti let-ang ti awan kasiguraduanna.

Some know what it means to do group work while hearing bombings and drones in the background. Adda dagiti dadduma a makaammo no kasano ti mangiwayat iti group work bayat a mangmangngegda ti ibebettak dagiti bomba ken ungor dagiti drones.

And that changes what certain words mean. Ket dayta, baliwanna ti kaipapanan dagiti sumagmamano a balikas.

Because for most of the people in this class, crisis is not a case study. Ta para iti kaaduan kadagiti tattao iti daytoy a klase, ti krisis ket saan a case study laeng.

It is not an abstract concept. Saan nga abstrakto a konsepto dayta.

It is not a classroom exercise. Saan a classroom exercise dayta.

It is not a framework on a reading list. Saan a framework laeng dayta iti maysa a reading list.

It is something lived. Dayta ket maysa a banag a paset ti biag.

It is the sound of drones overhead. Dayta ket uni dagiti drones iti ngato.

It is the sound of bombings during a conversation. Dayta ket uni dagiti agbettak a bomba bayat ti panagsasarita.

It is the message from home you are afraid to open. Dayta ti mensahe manipud iti balay a kabutengmo a luktan.

It is wondering whether your family is warm, safe, alive. Addaka nga agpugpugto no di met la kumkumter iti lamiis, natalged, ken sibibiag pay ti pamiliam.

So when we speak in class about crisis, conflict, disruption, and instability, many in this room are not speaking from distance. Isu a no pagsasaritaantayo iti klase ti maipanggep iti krisis, panagsinnupiat, pannakariribuk, ken kinaawan ti kinatalged, adu kadatayo iti daytoy a siled ti makaammo unay kadagitoy a bambanag.

They are speaking from life. Agsasaoda manipud iti biag.

They are speaking from memory. Agsasaoda manipud iti lagip.

They are speaking from experience. Agsasaoda manipud iti bukodda a padas.

And that takes a different kind of courage. Ket masapul dayta ti sabali a kita ti kinatured.

The courage to continue learning in the presence of fear. Ti kinatured nga agtultuloy nga agsursuro iti laksid ti kaadda ti buteng.

The courage to contribute to class discussions while carrying realities too heavy for the room to fully hold. Ti kinatured a makidiskusion iti klase bayat nga awitmo dagiti realidad a nadagsen unay para iti klase tapno naan-anay a maarakupna.

The courage to travel those distances, cross those borders, and still return to study while part of your heart remains elsewhere. Ti kinatured nga agdaliasat iti kastat’ kaadayona, lumasat kadagiti nagbebedngan, ket agsubli latta nga agsursuro uray no adda paset ti pusom a nabati iti sabali a lugar.

And that bravery is not limited to war. Ket dayta a kinatured, saan laeng nga iti gubat.  

Some are managing their business as well as their work. Adda dagiti dadduma a mangimatmaton iti negosioda kasta met ti trabahoda.

Some are trying to be a father and a mother, a son and a daughter, while also trying to be students here. Adda dagiti dadduma a padpadasenda ti mangipatungpal kadagiti akemda a kas ama ken ina, anak a lalaki ken anak a babai, bayat nga ikarkarigatanda ti agbalin nga estudiante ditoy.

Some are carrying responsibilities that do not pause simply because there is a reading to finish, a paper to write, or a class to attend. Adda dagiti dadduma nga adda awitda a responsibilidad a saan a maisardeng gapu laeng ta adda nasken nga ileppasda a basaen, adda nasken nga isuratda a paper, wenno adda klase nga atendaranda.

Bravery is found in those who studied while working full-time. Makita ti kinatured kadagidiay nagadal bayat nga agtrabtrabahoda a full-time.

In those who showed up while grieving. Kadagidiay nagparang uray pay agladladingitda.

In those who cared for children, parents, siblings, and communities, while still meeting deadlines, attending lectures, and writing papers. Kadagidiay mangtartaripato kadagiti annak, nagannak, kakabsat, ken komunidad, bayat nga agtultuloy latta ti panangtungpalda kadagiti deadlines,  yaatendarda kadagiti lectures, ken agsursurat iti papers.

Bravery is going home to a real life that is heavy, and then still returning to class. Ti kinatured ket isu ti panagsubli iti balay a yan ti pudno a biag a nadagsen, ngem kalpasanna agsubli latta iti klase.

Bravery is holding together two worlds at once: the world here, and the world waiting for us beyond Oxford. Ti kinatured ket isu ti panagsanggir iti dua a lubong iti maymaysa a tiempo: ti lubong ditoy, ken ti lubong a mangur-uray kadatayo iti labes ti Oxford.

That is why this ceremony matters so much.Isu dayta ti gapuna a dakkel unay ti kinapateg daytoy a seremonia.

Because this is not only a celebration of academic accomplishment. Ta daytoy ket saan laeng a panangrambak iti akademiko a panagballigi.

It is a celebration of endurance. Daytoy ket panangrambak iti kinaanus.

Of sacrifice. Iti panagsakripisio.

Of resilience. Iti kinakidser.

Of the decision, made over and over again, not to give up. Ken iti pangngeddeng, nga inaramid manen ken manen, a saan nga isusuko.

And yet, alongside that hardship, there has also been an extraordinary gift. Nupay kasta, iti abay dayta a kinarigat, adda met naisangsangayan unay a sagut.

There have been brilliant, unforgettable conversations in this class. Adda dagiti naindaklan ken di malipatan a panagiinnistoria iti daytoy a klase.

Conversations that challenged, surprised, deepened, and stayed long after the class ended. Dagiti panagsasarita a nangkarit, nangpasiddaaw, nangpauneg, ken nagtalinaed pray payen kalpasan ti panagpatingga ti klase.

This institution, and the people in it, have changed us. Daytoy nga institusion, ken dagiti tattao iti ikubna, binalbaliwanda ti biagtayo.

Many of us can say the same. Adu kadatayo ti mabalin a mangibaga met iti kasta.

We came here from different countries, different professions, different beliefs, different histories, and different ways of seeing the world. Immaytayo ditoy manipud kadagiti nadumaduma a pagilian, nadumaduma a propesion, nadumaduma a pammati, nadumaduma a pakasaritaan, ken nadumaduma a wagas ti panangkita iti lubong.

We are all very different. Amintayo, nagduduma.

We have had differences. Adda dagiti ditay nagkikinnaawatan.

At times, we have disagreed. Adda dagiti gundaway a nagduduma dagiti kapanunotantayo.

And yet, what an honour it has been to stand beside all of you. Nupay kasta, anian a nagdakkel a dayaw ti naipaay kaniak iti pannakikaduak kadakayo amin.

What an honour to learn with you. Anian a nagdakkel a dayaw ti naipaay kaniak iti panagsursurok a kaduakayo.

What an honour to be challenged by you. Anian a nagdakkel a dayaw ti naipaay kaniak iti panangkarkarityo kaniak.

What an honour to be changed by you. Anian a nagdakkel a dayaw ti naipaay kaniak ta nabaliwanak gapu kadakayo.

And today, I also want us to pause and give thanks. Ket ita, kayatko met nga agsardengtayo bassit ket itedtayo ti panagyaman.

To Oxford, and to this institution, thank you for giving us a place to think, to question, to grow, and to persevere. Iti Oxford, ken iti daytoy nga institusion, agyamankami ta inikkannakami iti lugar nga agpanunot, nga agsaludsod, a dumur-as, nga agibtur.

To the faculty and academic staff, thank you. Kadagiti faculty ken academic staff, agyamankami.

Thank you for your scholarship, your guidance, your patience, and your belief in us. Agyamankami iti imbinglayyo a sirib, panangiwanwan, kinaanuss, ken pammatiyo kadakami.

Thank you for teaching with rigour, but also with humanity. Agyamankami iti nainget a panangisuroyo, ngem addaan met panangngaasi.

Thank you for seeing us not only as students, but as people with lives beyond the classroom. Agyamankami ta nakitadakami saan laeng a kas estudiante, no di ket kas tattao nga addaan biag iti labes ti klasrum.

And most of all, thank you for allowing us to continue learning even through difficulty. Ken nangnangruna iti amin, agyamankami ta pinalubosandakami nga agtultuloy nga agsursuro uray iti tengnga ti kinarigat.

Thank you for making space for us to carry both our studies and our realities. Agyamankami ta nangparnuaykayo iti espasio para kadakami tapno maibaklaymi nga agpada ti panagadalmi ken dagiti realidadmi.

Thank you for understanding that excellence does not always come from ease, and that sometimes the greatest academic achievement is simply that a student found the strength to return. Agyamankami ta naawatanyo a ti kinaekselente ket saan a kanayon nga aggapu iti kinanam-ay, a no dadduma ti kadakkelan nga akademiko a balligi ket isu ti panangsarak laeng ti estudiante iti pigsa tapno agsubli.

Your support mattered. Napateg ti suportayo.

Your compassion mattered. Napateg ti asiyo.

Your flexibility mattered. Napateg ti kinamannakaawatyo.

And for many of us, it made the difference between stopping and finishing. Ket para iti adu kadakami, isu dayta ti nangaramid iti nagdumaan ti panagsardeng ken panagturpos.

And I also want to say this: this win is not just ours. Ken kayatko pay a sawen daytoy: daytoy a panagballigi ket saan a kabukbukodantayo.

It belongs, too, to the people you are here with. Kukua met daytoy dagiti tattao a kaduayo ditoy.

To the families who waited. Kadagiti pamilia a nagur-uray.

To the loved ones who encouraged. Kadagiti inay-ayat a nangpabileg kadatayo.

To the children who shared time. Kadagiti annak a nangibinglay iti tiempoda.

To the parents who sacrificed. Kadagiti nagannak a nagsakripisio.

To the friends who listened. Kadagiti gagayyem a dimngeg.

To the communities that carried us when we were tired. Kadagiti komunidad a nangawit kadatayo idi nabannogtayo.

They may not have sat in our classes, but they walked this journey with us. Mabalin a saanda a nagtugaw iti klasetayo, ngem nakipagdaliasatda iti daytoy a biahe a kaduatayo ida.

To those interested in the Major Programmes, let this class stand as an honest witness. Kadagiti interesado iti Major Programmes, bay-anyo a daytoy a klase ti agtakder a kas napudno a saksi.

This path is demanding. Daytoy a dalan ket masapulna ti adu unay.

Oxford will ask a great deal from you. Adunto ti dawaten ti Oxford kadakayo.

But this class is proof that even those carrying real burdens, complicated histories, and difficult circumstances still belong in places of excellence. Ngem daytoy a klase ket pammaneknek nga uray dagidiay nagaw-awit iti pudno a dadagsen, nariribuk a pakasaritaan, ken narigat a kasasaad ket maisaad latta kadagiti lugar ti kinaekselente.

We are proof that belonging is not reserved for those with easy journeys. Datayo ti pammaneknek a ti pannakaibilang ket saan a para laeng kadagidiay nalaka ti panagdaliasatda.

We are proof that language barriers do not define the limits of a voice. Datayo ti pammaneknek a dagiti lapped iti lengguahe ket dida maikeddeng ti pagpatinggaan ti maysa a timek.

We are proof that struggle does not cancel brilliance. Datayo ti pammaneknek a ti panagrigat ket dina mapuyupoy ti lawag.

We are proof that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to continue in spite of it.Datayo ti pammaneknek a ti kinatured ket saan nga isu ti kaawan panagbuteng, no di ket ti panangikeddeng iti panagtultuloy iti laksid ti kaaddana.

So today, as we graduate from Oxford, let us honour the prestige of this institution, yes — but let us also honour the people who met that prestige with extraordinary courage. Isu nga ita, bayat nga aggraduartayo manipud iti  Oxford, ipaaytayo ti pammadayaw iti kinaprestisioso daytoy nga institusion, wen — ngem ipaaytayo met ti pammadayaw kadagiti tattao a nangsango iti dayta a kinaprestisioso babaen ti naisangsangayan a kinatured.

Let us honour the students who kept going. Ipaaytayo ti pammadayaw kadagiti estudiante a nagtultuloy.

Let us honour the families who carried us. Ipaaytayo ti pammadayaw kadagiti pamilia a nangawit kadatayo.

Let us honour the faculty and staff who challenged us but also helped us remain. Ipaaytayo ti pammadayaw kadagiti faculty ken staff a nangkarit kadatayo ngem tinulongandatayo met tapno makapagtalinaed ditoy.

Let us honour the quiet bravery behind every person crossing this stage. Ipaaytayo ti pammadayaw iti naulimek a kinatured iti likud ti tunggal tao a lumabas iti daytoy nga entablado.

For me, this will always be a moment of gratitude. Para kaniak, daytoy ket agtalinaed a kanito ti panagyaman.

What a full circle. Anian a naindaklan a panagsubli iti punganay.

What a privilege. Anian a nagdakkel a gundaway.

What a brave class this is. Anian a kinatured daytoy a klase.

And though today is a goodbye of one kind, it is also the beginning of another chapter. Ket uray no daytoy nga aldaw ket maysa a wagas ti panagpakada, isu met ti pannakairugi ti sabali pay a kapitulo.

I look forward to seeing you again, in 42 different parts of the world. Addaak a sigagagar a mangur-uray iti panagkikitatayo manen, iti 42 a nadumaduma a paset ti lubong.

Congratulations to all of us, and thank you. Nabara a kablaaw kadatayo amin, ken agyamanak.

Note: On March 28, 2026, Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo delivered a speech at the final ceremony for the MSc in Major Programme Management cohort at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, hosted at the Holywell Music Room. Pakammo: Idi Marso 28, 2026, impaay ni Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo ti maysa a bitla iti maudi a seremonia para iti cohort ti MSc in Major Programme Management iti Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, a naangay iti Holywell Music Room.

The contents of this speech are released under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Nairuar ti linaon daytoy a bitla babaen ti lisensia a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0).

Feel free to reuse or distribute with attribution. Mabalinyo nga usaren manen wenno iwaras daytoy no maited ti kredito iti nagtaudanna.