1st Alumni Homecoming Keynote Speech
By: MACIE IMPERIAL
Graduate 2001
May 2009
Good afternoon, everybody. I am Macie Imperial, a graduate of SELF. I have been sober for 10 years now and I must say it feels really good to be back here again among good friends.
Today, I was given the privilege of addressing you to talk about my years of sobriety. But, before I can do that, I will need to first tell you about the nightmare of my drug-addicted years. We all have a story, mine no worse or better than yours. I grew up in a very traditional family, the eldest among five girls. Raised by very strict and conservative parents, I could not date nor party without the usual yaya to chaperone me.
We were raised with very strict rules and a strong set of values — respect for elders, honesty, integrity and generosity to those in need. And, as the eldest child, I had the additional burden of being the role model and had to be responsible at all times: No smoking and definitely no drugs. I was a pretty good student and was a consistent Dean’s Lister. After graduation, I took a job in advertising and married at 24 and had a baby boy the year after. Life was good. We left for the United States during the troubled years after the Ninoy Aquino assassination, had another baby boy, and came home after four years.
(more…)
