'From handouts to healing': CatSU celebrates 4th Clinical Graduation of 148 future nurses
CollegesSome walked a little faster, some slower. A few with tears they didn’t try to hide. But all 148 stepped onto the Catanduanes State University (CatSU) gymnasium stage on May 19, 2025—not just to receive a certificate, but to mark the moment they crossed from nursing students to clinical graduates. They had survived simulations and sleepless nights, juggled duty calls and deadlines, endured internal battles and hospital corridors. And now, in a sea of white uniforms and roaring applause, they arrived. “Hindi lang kayo nakaakyat ng stage. Nakakatawid kayo sa panibagong yugto,” said CatSU Officer-in-Charge President Dr. Roberto B. Barba Jr., in a speech that broke from the usual script. “From theories to touch. From handouts to healing. From silence in simulation labs to the noise and nuance of real lives.” Barba acknowledged not just the perseverance of the nursing graduates, but also the sacrifices of their families and the commitment of the faculty behind their journey. “To your parents—salamat po. You trusted your sons and daughters to CatSU. Sa aming mga kamay. We hope we have returned that trust well—with learning that is rooted, rigorous, and real,” he said. Barba also credited the clinical supervisors, instructors, and Dean Dr. Maria Alma V. Tabirara, for turning science into something “makatao”—a nursing education that doesn’t only teach what’s clinical but what’s critical. “Ngayon, nandito tayo. A transition. A turning point. Not the end of learning—but the beginning of doing,” he reminded the graduates, before introducing a man whose lived experience in the field echoed that very truth. 'You are armed with heart' Dr. Roel V. Evangelista, the evening’s guest speaker, did not romanticize the path ahead. Instead, he drew from the rawness of real-life service—maternal and child care, vaccination drives, outreach efforts that brought healing far beyond hospital walls. “Healing is not just about treatment,” Evangelista told the 148 graduates. “It is about presence. The way you listen. The comfort you offer. The dignity you uphold in every patient you serve.” He urged the graduates to remain not only competent, but compassionate. “As CatSUan nurses, you are not only equipped with knowledge—you are armed with heart. In a world that continues to recover from the pandemic, from the inequities in health care, from the mental strain of modern living—we need nurses like you,” he said. 'This dream is for you' For Hazel Talan, named Outstanding Student Nurse of the night, the journey has been nothing short of sacred. Her voice cracked as she addressed her fellow nursing students, recalling the chaos, the exhaustion, the almosts and the breakthroughs. “To Mom and Dad—no words will ever be enough,” she said. “You poured out your blood, sweat, and tears just to get me through nursing school. This success, this moment, this dream—it’s all for you.” To her batchmates, Talan declared: “We didn’t just survive nursing school. We conquered it. And that is something no one can ever take away from us.” Her message was clear: The struggle was real, but so is the strength they’ve built. And now, they face the Board exams—and the world—together. Beyond the white coats As the evening closed, Barba left the graduates with a challenge: “Suit up. Heal. Serve. Transform. Because you are CatSUan. You are called. You are ready.” From handouts to healing—CatSU’s 148 clinical graduates are stepping forward. And the world, with all its wounds and wonders, is waiting.
