Graduation Entry # 1:ADMU Essay

This is my first graduation-related post. This was the essay I submitted to Ateneo. Pisay really is such a life-changing experience.

//Di ko to sinulat. Dati pa to so I'm not violating yung sinabi kong tatapusin ko muna lahat ng requirements. haha. :))

“It’s not suppose to be easy,” said one character in the movie Raise Your Voice. He was talking to the character played by Hillary Duff, who was breaking down because of the pressure she was experiencing during the summer program she was attending in the country’s premier music school. That line made me cry.

Entering Philippine Science High School (PSHS) was my idea but I believe it was God’s plan. I learned from a classmate in grade five that there was such a school and I wanted to get in. I don’t remember why. But three years later with God’s grace, I found myself at the gates of Pisay.

PSHS is known for the rigorous academic training it offers. I got a lot more than that. Pisay definitely gives more than just an advantage in college admission tests and more than an impressive resume. It has given me moments, lessons and realizations that I will always remember.

First, I have learned that there will always be people better than me. I wasn’t valedictorian in grade school nor was I in the top 5 but I was considered one of the most intelligent in our batch and that made me feel good about myself. When I entered Pisay, I was in a pool of valedictorians and salutatorians. Their presence made me want to work harder. It inspired me to be the best me that I could be. I also learned to compete with myself instead of competing against others. By competing with myself, I have learned my personal strengths and weaknesses. I realized that there is so much more growth in developing one’s self.

Second, Pisay gave me a hard time. I often had so much more than I could swallow. My brain had to be stretched just to fit in all the information I needed to remember for my tests. I had to stay up until morning and get only three hours of sleep to finish all that was there to do. This taught me to be hardworking. Pisay will forever be the institution that got me used to working. I am now used to tons of workload and I believe this will help me in the real world where there is even more to do.

Third, Pisay made me experience failure. When I was in third year, I received my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd failing card grades. I even got a 3.0 in Math during the second quarter. I just had to cry when I learned. But when I thought about it, I realized that the failure was a result of the things I chose not to do because I chose to do other things. It was my fault. I have also learned that failing is not the end of the world. As long as you stand up and choose to become a better person after it, then, failure is not such a bad thing after all. At the end of the year, I had no failing grades left.

Fourth, I have also had my share of victories in this school. During the same year that I got failing grades, I was uplifted by the victories I obtained. I got into the computer programming training pool. I joined and won various press cons for Editorial Writing. This made me realize that I am precious and I have skills and talents that just have to be developed. These made me realize that God does balance things. He gives us a share of sadness and a share of joy. When the sufferings are unbearable, the joys are overwhelming.

Lastly, Pisay has instilled in me a greater sense of service. My education in St. Paul College, Pasig, my parents’ passion for service, and my membership in the family ministries of Couples for Christ have made me want to try out serving others very early on in my life. In Pisay, it was reinforced by the many opportunities that came my way. I was able to serve in religious organizations, academic clubs, the student arm of the school’s Guidance Office, the school paper and the batch council. To others, extra-curricular activities are considered hindrances to their academics but I did not think of my activities as such. I believe that these things I participated in helped me grow more holistically and has given me the chance to share myself with others. This I believe is the real sense of the Pisay education. Its goal is to produce graduates who have a great sense of love for country and the earnest desire to serve others. This is something I’m sure I did not miss out on. I now feel that I owe this country. I owe it to the Philippines to give my best in everything I do, to do my share in nation building, and think of others’ welfare before my own. The training Pisay gave me was not for mere personal gain. I became a better person in Pisay so that I may also become a better member of society. And that’s just what I intend to do.

Despite all that I’ve mentioned, I could not say that Pisay has always made me happy. There were many times that I had to examine my self worth. There were so many times I felt like I was dumb and that I wasn’t good enough. There were times I felt so pressured because everyone outside was expecting so much from me as a scholar. There were times I would think whether I made the right decision of going to this school. There were times I just wanted to quit to escape it all.

But those just stayed in the mind. With lots of prayers and support from my loving parents, I have stuck it through. I am now in my last year, still alive and stronger than ever.

It was indeed hard. I could have stayed in my old school and I probably wouldn’t be as stressed as I am now. But I could now proudly say I chose the road less traveled. Many people already run away at the thought of Philippine Science High School. But that cannot be said of me. I chose to go through the numerous workloads, through the seemingly unlimited lessons in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Math, through the pains of failure and through the pressure of being one of the country’s scholars. And now that I am nearing the end of this rocky road, I do not regret taking this path because I know I have become a better person not only for myself but also for the people around me and for my country. I have become unafraid of challenges because they make me stronger. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would still want to be in Pisay because through pains, I have found myself, the people who truly love me and my God who never abandoned me.

As Hillary Duff says at the end of the movie after going through everything, “This is the hardest, scariest, best thing that has ever happened to me.”