I’m a simple working student. At a young age of 10, I learned to be independent since my father left us. I learned how unfair life is but as time passes by, the anger that grew inside me all along, slowly melted away as God started to reveal Himself to me through the experiences that happened to me and through the people that came into my life. I’m not trying to be religious here (because I believe being religious is different from being spiritual), I just really want to share (every time I am asked to describe myself) how God greatly worked and is working in my life.
I never thought writing could bring changes not only in my life but in others as well.In elementary, I thought open letter was just a simple conversation from me to someone that I can’t talk with personally; Thought poems were just simple words that rhyme with how I feel on the moment that I wrote it.In high school, I thought essays were just an expression of me and of who I am; thought that prepared speeches were just a justification that despite the fact that I may be broken inside, I can show others that I have a strong determination to prove myself.But again, the plans of the tongue belong to the mortals but the final decision is with God.I learned that proving yourself to others would just disappoint you but proving yourself to God, will give you immortal satisfaction.Before, my works were focused on anger, on fear, on bitterness and on animosity because I wanted to tell others how I feel because of what happened to me.It reached other people but, in a way that the feelings that I wrote did not help them but burdened them as well and I was never happy with it. I caused others to feel the same anger that I felt.Eventually, I learned what God wants to teach me something, and eventually I learned to write articles that would lift up spirits. From being a bitter person, because of God, I am now a better person than I was before.
I love God. I love writing.I am just a simple working student who loves my life the way God writes it.
LIFESTYLE
Being independent at an early age taught me a lot – especially in handling money. The most important thing that I've learned in life is to use the available resources at hand, rather than make a list of the things that you “want” to buy yet setting aside practicality. In my life where there are a lot of people who hunger for wealth, and more wealth, I do not want to go with “their” flow.I know that God will provide you the things that you need ‘because He knows what’s in your heart, but of course, He’ll give it if that will make you happy and at the same time, would glorify His name.
When it comes to fashion, I don’t go with the trend.I have my own self expression.Its so hard to adjust just to be accepted to the society you belong – when in fact, you don’t have to feel the “NEED” to “BELONG” because I believe we were not born to please everybody, but this doesn't mean that you’ll just wear anything that you feel that day but what I mean here is that, someone could still look appropriate without trying so hard just to say that you’re fashionable.
I believe being fashionable is wearing who you are. Because if you’re comfortable with what you are, no matter what the fashion of this world will tell you, you will still stand above the rest.
At the age of 17, my first ‘official’ work experience is at the Office of the Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).They have accepted me as a working student (God’s grace), and on a night shift! (Praise God!) Double blessing indeed. But it was not easy though.I thought I was an achiever all the time but God taught me lessons about failure. I have failed two subjects that fell on morning schedules at school.I think the most difficult part is to handle schedule.I have to go to school in the morning, then work at night, and most of the time, my boss goes home very late that I have no more time to sleep or take some rest, but its part of my job that’s why I have to bear it. Jeepneys became my bed, bus chairs became my pillows and the metro rail became my comfort for the nights that my eyes long for a restful sleep. But by God’s grace, for two years, I was able to survive each day.
As a working student at TESDA, I was assigned at the documents.I have an access to the Boss’ email accounts to monitor the queries of a lot of people who wants to avail opportunities being offered by TESDA. I also have to supervise all incoming and outgoing documents during my shift since problems may take place if the documents were not handled very well. Despite the pressure of being in the midst of two worlds, the world of school papers and office papers, by God’s grace, this December, my contract as a job order will end without any obligation left to them.
At present, I am currently enrolled at the College of Communication of Polytechnic University of the Philippines taking up Communication Research.My first choice was Accountancy since my average grade passed the requirement for that course and because Accountancy was the most known course in PUP, however, during the enrollment day, there was a pool of crowd on that course so I preferred to take another line which has lesser people and which was my Second choice at the same time – Mass Communication.When I was the next one to be interviewed, I was asked to take Communication Research because my Math grades in high school were fair enough to take that course.Though I insisted that I wanted to take Broadcast Journalism, the professor who interviewed me, (I never wanted to name her Prof. Malaya Abadilla, but she was the one), told me that I really belong to CommRes because of my grades.As a result of her endorsement to CommRes and because she insisted that in CommRes, it’s like taking up both journalism and broadcasting in one, I am now on my third year taking up Communication Research.
But no regrets, I have learned a lot in CommRes.I have learned to be both objective and subjective. But with CommRes, I have learned to weigh both of them as well.We were taught to analyze data and interpret them in a way that the information would be beneficial to the readers. We were also taught that research is not about using what you've learned to abuse others but to respect their lived experiences as a person and not as our participants or informants.We were taught to have an in-depth analysis of things that happen and to be critical to the event that is taking place.In Communication Research, I have learned that a simple communication does not end and it’s a continues process because every each of us has his/her own frame of references.
I only know the basic of using computer such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe and other ‘basic’ applications in computer (I am not even familiar with others).I have practiced myself with it since I was working at TESDA because paper works are the most common thing that I do here.I stay long hours in the internet since my Boss used to ask me to search for various things and I stay even more because after the office works, its my time to do our assignments and projects and there are times when you have to relax your mind and take a break, that’s the time when I used to visit networking sites.
I first learned to write news articles in elementary, and then in the long run, I learned to broaden my writing scope through contests.I have won a number of writing contests when I was in high school, truly it was the most memorable days of my life because now in college, I have to focus myself both at work and at school.I have no more time to join contests but I still tried to spend some time to join the writing competitions in college and by God’s grace, I was able to bring home the bacon.But again, as a working student, it was difficult to place some time for extra curricular activities not like in high school so I have to set my priorities.At present, I give my time to write on the researches and articles that is needed for school but I still manage to take even a little while to write about things that just pop out of my mind.
When I was in high school, name an organization and I belong to them but not anymore, in college, as I have mentioned in my writing experience, as a working student, I have lesser time to join in organizations.Though I have joined some of them like our Circle of Research Enthusiast, the Philippine Heart Association and our College Newspaper, I have engaged no time to join organizations.
In seminars that I have attended, all of them are related to our field – Communication Research.I gained more knowledge about it.Aside from seminars related to school, I have also attended business-related seminars when a friend invited me.
Before, I was a grade conscious student.I was a dean’s Lister and was running for honor.But that was before.During that time, I don’t think I’ll ever need someone because I am already working, I know how to feed myself and to handle school at the same time without getting any failing mark. Maybe that was the reason that God taught me to take a break and take a realization that though I have my work and my good grades, I don’t have God in my life during those times and when I started to have difficulty in balancing my schedule and failed to come to my classes on time, I failed in two (2) of my morning subjects.It was painful because I thought I was already perfect in doing things.Since then I realized that I can’t just continue my life without God.I am still a university scholar because I was able to maintain my average grade but can no longer run for an honorable position because of the two (2) minor subjects but those “minor” subjects brought a “major” impact in my realization of life – that there are times that because of being conscious of what people will say about us with the awards that we received, or honor that we gained, we sometimes forget the most important person that we have to give back the Honor and Praises – GOD.
