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Commencement Speaker appeals for a kind future, encourages MSU-IIT graduates to stand against injustice and inequality

by Kassandra Buenafe, OfCom | Feb 23 2025

In his first-ever Commencement Address as the Director of the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute, Dr. Jayeel S. Cornelio delivered a powerful and resonating message to the graduates of MSU-IIT in the 55th Commencement Ceremonies, 1st Semester Graduation on February 21, 2025, at the University Gymnasium. 

305 graduates had the privilege to listen to a compelling speech that centered on the importance of kindness and humanity. As Chancellor Alizedney M. Ditucalan said in his opening remarks, “We are grounding science and technology back to its core–humanity,” thus the reason for the invite of the Keynote Speaker, “...so that we may benefit from the things they learn from their own journeys and we may see an example of our potentials come to life and second, so that we may be inspired not only of what people do but by what people live for,” the Chancellor added. 

Dr. Cornelio began with a thought-provoking statement–”The future affects us,” he said, emphasizing that there are two images of the world’s tomorrow; a future that is hopeful or catastrophic. He reminded everyone of the power that they hold to gear toward a future that benefits the whole of humanity. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) giving aid into our daily lives, contributing to a progressive future, he further juxtaposed this with the possibility of a future that haunts and warns us such as the exacerbation of climate change and social inequalities– “...dystopia, decay, dysfunction, posible rin yun.” 

 The uncertainty of the future is a looming and inevitable feeling; According to him, with the rise of these uncertainties, people are left to operate on precarity– “This is when people are forced to survive on their own because the future is uncertain, people are forced to survive by themselves because the future is so uncontrollable anymore.” Banking on the University’s current tagline, “Influencing The Future,” the Keynote Speaker then posed a shift in perspective among the crowd, “What if the future is precarious?” he said. 

 

Yet, rather than succumbing to fear, he urged the audience to cultivate a healthier perspective, one that requires tangible and deliberate actions of change. Dr. Cornelio challenged the graduates to dream with him and appealed for three things: (1) build a future with a sense of idealism where no one is left behind; (2) build the future with humility; and lastly (3) build the future with kindness. 

“While kindness is part of our humanity, so is brutality, this is why injustice abounds in our society,” the speaker said, acknowledging the dichotomy of who we are as people. The latter is not entirely inevitable but it can be overcome. In closing, despite kindness being seen as a liability in the real world, Dr. Cornelio shared that kindness is a courageous and brave statement that says no to injustice and inequality.

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