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The Mindanao State University–Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography celebrated its graduates in a stirring ceremony filled with heartfelt reflection and a deep sense of collective aspiration, recognizing them not only as scholars but also as symbols of enduring hope.
Serving as this year’s Commencement Speaker, Dr. Jayeel S. Cornelio, Director of the DOST - Science Education Institute, delivered a message that moved hearts and rekindled purpose. A public sociologist, educator, and leader, Dr. Cornelio’s work has significantly shaped how we understand Filipino youth, religion, and social change in the contemporary era. As Director IV of the DOST-SEI, he leads policies and initiatives that cultivate scientific talent and research across the country.
Prior to this, he served as Associate Dean for Research and Creative Work and Director of the Development Studies Program at Ateneo de Manila University, where he was also a long-time faculty member. He is currently on leave from Ateneo in light of his designation at DOST-SEI.
Dr. Cornelio’s academic journey is equally distinguished and global. He obtained his PhD in Sociology from the National University of Singapore, where he was a scholar at the Asia Research Institute. He completed his Master of Social Sciences in Applied Sociology at the same university, graduating top of his class and receiving the Lee Foundation Prize. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies with honors from Ateneo de Manila University, where he also received the university's Development Studies Program Award.
“Today, you are not just graduates,” he declared. “Today, you are beings of hope, fulfilling your dreams, fighting for the future, and proclaiming a resounding no to darkness and fear.”
The moment marked the culmination of years of determination, sacrifice, and grit—qualities that Dr. Cornelio emphasized were not only academic virtues but social ones. The diploma each graduate received, he said, was more than proof of academic success: it was 'evidence that at one point in your life, you fought with hope.'
Speaking beyond his title, Dr. Cornelio spoke not just as a leader but as a fellow Filipino, calling upon the academic community to embrace the burden—and the beauty—of hope. “Hope because you can change. Hope because people can change. Hope because this nation must change,” he shared, underscoring why giving up is never an option.
He envisioned MSU-TCTO as a 'community of hope,' urging faculty, administrators, and graduates to honor the stories that brought them to this day—the quiet battles, the unwavering faith, and the light kept alive amid hardship.
“Each of us today has a story,” he said, “about how far you’ve come in life and what hopes you held on to in spite of everything hopeless around you.” It was a moment of shared truth—a collective recognition that hope, though heavy, remains worth carrying.
“Oo, mabigat na salita ang pag-asa. Mabigat ang mga panawagan nito. But all of it is worth it,” acknowledging the emotional labor of hope and affirming its transformative power.
His closing declaration—“Gawin natin ito para sa ating sarili, para sa ibang tao, at para sa ating bayan. Mga kapatid dito sa MSU-TCTO: Kaya. Natin. Ito.” —was a call to action, resonating as both a personal affirmation and a national mission.
This year's commencement did not merely mark an end—it proclaimed a beginning. With hope as their foundation, MSU-TCTO’s graduates stepped forward—not just ready to change the world, but determined that the world must change.
