Before I begin, I’d like to extend an invitation to our parents, grandparents, and anyone else who has an active hand in the upbringing of our youth. I know I was asked here to speak directly to our young people tonight, but the lessons I hope to impart also have bearing for you as well.

      “Learn more, do more, be more.” These are six simple words with profound meaning. But it serves as a valuable mantra for you to remember as you go through your daily routines. Let’s break the phrase down into its three parts, and examine how they flow from each other.

      Learn More – First…Learn more. Seems pretty self-explanatory. But no, that doesn’t mean you have to bury yourselves in your books and your studies all the time. For your parents here tonight, I’m sure it would be considered a great achievement for your child to be the valedictorian of his/her graduating class. But I’m here to tell you that while marks are important, marks aren’t everything. I can say unequivocally that there is so much to learn outside the classroom. And many of these lessons reinforce what you’re inspired to want to give to your own community. I inherited my insatiable curiosity from my grandfather, Macario Vergara Esperanza. If there was one lesson he had instilled in me, is that your intelligence is truly one of God’s greatest creations. Not only does it regulate what we see and do, but it also allows to be a sponge, to soak up as much as we can in the short time we have on this earth. To his dying day, my grandfather had one of the sharpest minds even though his body couldn’t keep up with him and all because he refused to remain idle. If there’s anything I can pass along to all of you here, I challenge you regardless of your age, to get the most of God’s greatest creation: your brain.

      Do More - In many ways, school gives you the bare essentials to get by, but it’s only by applying what you learn in school in other activities that helps you achieve. Even when I was applying to colleges and universities, the scholastic portion of the application was only a small part of what these institutions were looking for. When I graduated from high school, I wasn’t the “best” student. Sure, I had a high GPA, but what netted me a generous scholarship was the level of community involvement I had. That’s why it’s important to “do more”, the second part of our mantra tonight.

       Now I can probably guess what you’re thinking. If you were anything like me, after a long day in school, you probably wanted to have some time to relax – I don’t know, in front of the TV perhaps, the computer or an Xbox. Some of you probably have a part-time job. Others probably have to care for your younger brothers, sisters, or nieces and nephews. You have so much jam into your lives right now, how can you possibly add anything more? Well, it can be a lot easier than you think.

      How many of you go to church every week? Some of my first community involvement happened at church. I figure if I had to get up every Sunday morning when I could be watching cartoons instead, I might as well get the most out of it. I started as an altar server when I was seven. And from there, I was able to apply the music skills I had learned to help out the choir. I also became a lector and communion minister, and when I moved out on my own, I was pretty much doing everything at the church I attended. And all that basically took was an hour – maybe two hours – a WEEK. Of the 168 hours in the week, surely you can spare one or two hours at church? You’re there anyway, so you may as well get the most out of it.

      What you learn should also be passed along. Think about how much you’re enriching the world by your generosity. Filipinos continue to come to California to search for a better life. Imagine what they could become if there were people like you to teach them based on your own experience. Have you considered helping new immigrants with their English? A mere hour out of the 168 hours in a week could do wonders, especially if it means our kababayans are learning to adjust to their new life here. What about in school? How many of you have considered helping your fellow students as a tutor or mentor? And not just for students in your own class or in your grade. What about for those in younger grades? Here’s an example: How many of you here had a close relative that died of cancer. Have you considered helping out at a fundraiser for cancer research, in the name of that relative? There are so many causes out there that could use even an hour’s worth a week of your precious time – time that you would probably spend doing something a lot less productive. One out of 168 hrs. a week you could be helping organize a walk to raise money for cancer research or cheering up kids living with cancer in the hospital. You have the power to touch so many lives, and you’re going to sit in front of a television watching re-runs?

      The important thing to remember about doing more is the primary motivation. Don’t be doing these things for the glory or to fill up your one-page resume or college application. Believe me, people can well see right through those selfish, false pretenses. And parents out there, I hope you don’t interpret this advice by saying to your child “you have to go and do this now. My brother was told, if not ordered, to altar serve every week. But he was miserable and generally didn’t get very much out of the experience. In order for you to “do more” your primary motivation has to be because you want to do more – not because your parents made you do it, not because your older brothers, sisters or cousins are doing it. There’s no sense in doing if you’re not enjoying it. Sure your Xbox may end up collecting a bit of dust in the process – and yes you probably spent hundreds of dollars on games- but this is the time in your life when you have so many opportunities available to you. And all it takes is a few hours a week.

      Be More - We’ve gone through “learn more” and “do more.” Now we’re into “be more.” I’m going to break this particular section down into two different interpretations, both of which have direct bearing on our two previous themes. Firstly, how many of you have heard of the term “renaissance man.?” For those who are unfamiliar, it’s a term used to describe someone who has accomplished a number of skills – and above all, is not afraid to share what he has learned. At work, I’m a journalist, but that’s broken down into different skills – reporting, producing, anchoring, even editing for both radio and television, two completely different ways and approaches to news coverage. I’m able to do almost every story, from politics to natural disasters, to sports, to arts and entertainment, to religion and beyond. And why am I able to do these things, and do them well? Because I challenge myself to learn more and do more, so I could “be more” valuable in the eyes of my employer.

      These days, the world is moving away from specialists. Employers are looking for people with a variety of skill sets. And with every new skill you bring to the table, the more versatile you are, the more likely you will be to get a job. In my business, there’s a lot of journalists. But not every journalist understands how to write a story fit for radio news and then turn around and slap pictures to it. Again there are two different sets of skills to grasp.

      Colleges and universities too, are moving beyond mere bookworms, challenging today’s students to “be more.” Student X may have a perfect GPA but unless that student demonstrates more than book smarts, the most prestigious universities in the country will pass them by. Instead they’ll focus on Student Y or Student Z who shows a willingness to connect with their community while at the same time maintaining an above average GPA. As I’ve said earlier, marks aren’t everything. There’s going to be hundreds, if not thousands, of valedictorians in this world. What will set them apart is the impact they have had outside of school.

      For my second interpretation of “be more,” I thought I’d turn to one of the greatest minds the world had ever known. Albert Einstein refined a theory. He once said, “with every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.” In the case of our mantra tonight, “learn more and do more” are our actions. Our equal and opposite reaction is “be more.”

      There’s a bit of an underground movement in the world today called “random act of kindness.” Amid all the chaos and upheaval in the world, a group of people have made it their mission to do at least one nice thing a day – be it to help someone cross the street or open a door for someone, in the hope that kindness is repeated. This is the very core of “be more.” When you “learn and do more”, you become more not only in the eyes of the people around you but also to yourself.

      Remember when I talked about what you learn is meant to be passed along? Here’s a practical example: gasoline prices. How much did you spent on a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline? What if I could tell you where I saw it even cheaper in your neighborhood? Wouldn’t you want to pass that information along to your friends and families? That’s the reasoning behind this interpretation of “be more.” The information becomes more valuable after it is learned and passed along. Someday, one of you will be passing along words of wisdom to the next generation of achievers, and those words will “be more” to that waiting audience. Never hold anything to yourself because it turns into so much more when it’s shared.

      Before I leave tonight, I hope to leave you with one thought. Our mantra tonight, “learn more,” “do more,” and “be more” is not a line, but rather a circle. What I’ve learned from what I’ve done has now been passed along to you. Hopefully you will learn and do the same. You all have such incredible gifts that need to be shared in this world. Just think of the difference all of those gifts can make in the world. Thank you again and good night.