My Journey

REINA, JULIUS, ALBERT, CECILLE, GABRIEL, EDUARD, ARJAY, ROSE ANN, VIVIAN, ARLYN, KAYE, LOI, ROSE-ANN, JON-JON, ENRI, PAUL, APRIL, JULIE ANN, ANGIE, ABEGAIL. These names might be common but not the persons I personally know behind these names. Beautiful and true. Today, the heavens stormed me with angels through them. An hour or so, each one took turn to show me a picture of the beautiful side of this world with their “I am who I am.”

While others were more confident and spontaneous in their delivery, the rest were obviously fighting to conquer their stage fright and grammar and enunciation weakness. Because this was an assignment, they were aware that what and how they will present will determine the mark they will earn for that session. But if I were to grade them for the impact they have caused in me, everybody could have earned as high as 100%. I have had a lot of “aha” moments while listening to their stories. I experienced goose bumps; I almost broke in tears; I laughed and smiled; felt the leap in my heart. I was enlightened. The inspiration overflows.

It is not by chance that I met these young people. I am an educator. It’s expected that I will be with students, but of all, why them? Today, I’m sure none of the above mentioned names realized how much they taught me. As they sweat themselves in their P.E. class as of this moment, they don’t know that the lessons I’ve got have touched my whole being. I have become a different person–better this time. Once again, I got the affirmation that I am in the right job. My existence is more meaningful because I am taking an active role in molding young people to become responsible citizens of this world and they allow me to carry on such.

I could have sticked with concepts and theories and grade their outputs each time but a voice is telling me to go beyond that. It’s telling me to bring these young people to a level where they could appreciate life more by being able to explore more the person in them through the application of the subject matter. How do I make them fully human? How do I allow myself to become fully human through them? I feel that these are the more important questions in this profession where I am.

I can make or break. I can love or hate. I can smile or frown. I can be a mentor or tormentor. MAKE, LOVE, SMILE, MENTOR–my choice. My deepest appreciation to the BE3MA CLASS OF AICS-CALOOCAN for the opportunity. To Abegail, even your silence is something…

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