My Golden Armory

Family. School. Community.

I believe that these three things have had a great impact not only to the person that I am today but also to the person that I will be in the future. Each is a big piece of a puzzle that completes who I am. One cannot exist without then other.

Family. 

Many would consider the family as the smallest unit of society whose stability determines the nation’s strength. For me, however, the value of family goes beyond this definition. It is a haven where I first learned the importance of sacrifice service and responsibility.

My mother, an Overseas Filipino Worker, showed me that to achieve one’s dream, one has to be willing to sacrifice. She dreamt of a batter life for me and my family and though it was hard for her, she has to do it not only for herself but for our good. Selflessness and sacrifice are the best lessons my mother gave me.

My grandmother, a housewife and the family’s matriarch, took care of me and raised me. Her patience and dedication showed me the meaning of service-one which asks nothing in return. She wholeheartedly guided me through life not out of compulsion but rather out of love. That, I believe, is the core of service…love.

My father, a firefighter, is my epitome of responsibility. He knows his duty to ensure the safety of the people he chose to serve. He knows that though he will be away from me for many times a year, he stood by what he thought would bring about the common good. My father is my gauge of how to stand by one’s duty and responsibility.

School.

Living one’s passion with excellence and enriching the potential of one’s students are the most important values I acquired in my ten years in school. My teachers are my models of integrity and the ones who molded my belief that I can do something valuable as an individual. Their love for their work cannot be measured and despite the sleepless nights and the work overload, they always find time to see beyond their students not only as mere clients but more importantly as valuable treasures entrusted to them. The passion and the love for their profession have inspired me to be like them and to live like them.

Community.

Growing up in one of the most popular slums in the city has taught me a lot of the reality of life. More than that it has given me a sense of culpability to be proactive is reaching out to those who struggle with poverty. My communities made me realize that what I have learned in school should never be kept in the four walls of the classroom. Most important of all, my community has taught me that there is hope even no matter how bleak things may seem.