‘A diploma no guarantee one’s educated’

Senator Grace Poe.  PHOTO BY JAY MORALES

CEBU, Philippines—Having a diploma and being educated are not the same thing, Sen. Grace Poe told a graduating class here as she urged them to keep their values intact even after they embark on their next phase in life.

Poe said that even if they had advanced themselves after earning degrees, they should not forget to treat others well, especially the less fortunate.

Speaking at the commencement exercises of the Indiana Aerospace University, Poe said the graduating class would be facing a world of fresh opportunities after getting their diploma.

“At this juncture, I urge you to remember the difference between a degree and an education,” she said.

Their diploma would be their ticket to jobs and opportunities not available to 90 percent of the population, she noted.

But the best evidence to show whether they got an education or not is their treatment of other people, she said. They can advance themselves without oppressing others, she added.

“It is how you treat other people, especially those who have less in life that will determine if your stint in college indeed educated you,” she said.