It was January 6, 2001. I remember my head sunk on my pillow as tears started to brim in my eyes. I just knew that I did not pass the ACET. Coming from an all Atenean Family, I felt a mix of embarrassment and misery. I always recall crying to my high school friends on breaks and even on the phone.
My folks always wanted me to get in the Ateneo, so they processed an appeal for me. That time I already had another college to go to and I have finally accepted that I am not cut to go to that school. That summer, I joined my mom, tita and lola to Europe. On May 4, which was also my Lola’s birthday, my mom received a text message from my sister who was left back in Manila that I have made it to Ateneo through the appeal with the degree of AB European Studies, my second choice in the list of courses.
So Freshman year started. I went through my ORSEM (Freshman Orientation Seminar) with some high school friends who were also my blockmates. I was never ashamed of my status of being appealed but what hurt me is when my friends started to introduce me as “Hay, this is Anj, did you know she’s just appealed to get in here?”. As far as I was concerned it was not suppose to be a big deal between me and my friends, nor between me and my blockmates. Even if I was accepted under special considerations, where I had to get at least a 1.8 Q.P.I., I think I deserve more respect than that.
I set my priorities straight that year. I focused on my studies. I did not join any school organization or any extra curricular activity just for me to concentrate on my studies. I ended my freshman year with a 3.34 QPI, a .01 miss for the Dean’s List.
I started to join Organizations and School events during my Sophomore year. But I never lost track of my studies. It was always priority. Group work started to pile up but it had to take me a semester to be able to find groupmates that compliments my work ethics.
I slowly became active in school events, such as volunteering for the Secretariat Committee of the Tanaw Bughaw ORSEM 2002 and became part of the production crew of the Glee Club. I also worked for the Alternative Class Program (ACP) that year. Soon after these, I was called to hold a position for IgniteORSEM2003 as the Secretariat Deputy. I ended that year having ORSEM in mind and making it to the Dean’s List with a 3.5 qpi!!.
My third year in college proves to be the most challenging yet most fruitful year in my stopover here in the Ateneo. Life has brought me so much surprises and it has indeed created a difference in me. I am not trying to say that my first two years in college did not give me the same fulfillment as how I realize my third year is. But my junior year is the one that made me realize things that were beyond me. Things that I never thought I would achieve and experiences that created a new road to travel on. My third year answered some questions I have been wondering about. But then it leads me to more questions that I know will not be answered anytime soon. My continuous struggle to excel in academics while balancing my extra curricular activities is not that easy as how people think it is for me. I handled three events last November to December while I still keep track of my academic standing. My involvement in Erasmus, home organization of European Studies majors, Detour ACP SHOW production crew as well as being part of the first ever TECHNO CORE of Pragmatix gave me so much insights to who I am right now. Soon after, I was accepted to be a participant of the Ateneo Student Leaders Assembly. With all of these, I decided to try my luck to run as the next ORSEM head.
Through the struggle of the panel interviews, on December 24 at 12 midnight to the 25th I received a message “nO other univeRsity doeS it the way wE do. adMu. 2004. CONGRATULATIONS! Let’s talk soon!” and the rest of the story is written here in my blog.
I hope that I could inspire the more people to aspire for something through what their true passions are. Knowing what one wants makes one go further and go beyond our own limitations.
Despite all the embarrassment I got as I entered I could still give my self a graceful exit. Wish me luck on my last year in college!
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