Months after speaking about perseverance, unequal beginnings and taking a leap of faith, Rand Ayan D. Norbe has emerged as one of the country’s top-performing librarians, joining fellow La Consolacion College Bacolod graduate Aljhune Kyle Venteriz Pansinsoy among the topnotchers in the Librarians Licensure Examination.
Their achievement marks another milestone for LCC Bacolod’s Bachelor of Library and Information Science program and reflects the graduates’ academic preparation, determination and commitment to their profession.
For Norbe, the recognition adds a new chapter to the story he shared during LCC Bacolod’s 79th Baccalaureate Commencement Exercises on May 29, 2026, at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City.
Norbe, who graduated magna cum laude, delivered the Voice of the Graduates address on behalf of a class whose college journey began amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In his speech, he acknowledged that students did not enter college with the same resources or opportunities.
He paid tribute to classmates who worked part time, served as student assistants or relied on scholarships to remain in school. He also remembered those who had to transfer, shift programs or leave school to seek employment.
“The harsh reality is that without our scholarships, without our part-time jobs and gigs, we would probably be out of school — not because we want to, but because what other choice do we have?” Norbe said during the commencement ceremony.
Rather than offering his fellow graduates certainty about what awaited them, Norbe encouraged them to move forward despite not knowing where their choices would lead.
“To my fellow graduates, the past four years have been a riptide of trials and tribulations,” he said. “Today, we stand at the edge of our college journey about to take a leap of faith.”
That leap has now carried Norbe into the ranks of the country’s highest-performing examinees.
Pansinsoy’s placement alongside Norbe makes the accomplishment a shared distinction for the BLIS program and the LCC Bacolod community. Their success underscores the vital role librarians play in organizing knowledge, advancing information literacy and ensuring responsible access to information.
Norbe’s earlier message also takes on renewed meaning in light of the two graduates’ achievement. During his address, he invoked the words of St. Augustine: “Semper adde, semper ambula, semper profice” — always add, always walk, always advance.
The two graduates’ performance demonstrates how that call to keep advancing can extend beyond commencement day—from the uncertainties of college life to the demands of professional preparation and, ultimately, success in the licensure examination.
LCC Bacolod, an institution operated by the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation, congratulated Norbe and Pansinsoy for bringing honor to their families, the BLIS program and the wider school community.
Their achievement stands not only as a record of academic excellence but also as a testament to perseverance: Two graduates shaped by uncertainty took their leap of faith and emerged among the nation’s best.