Choosing growth over comfort

We’re finally here.

I have always been eager to apply to Benilde. I even gave my parents an ultimatum – it’s LaSalle-Benilde or I’m not going to college.

But I’m glad I forged my own path. Even if that meant being away from my family for a while, and studying in Manila despite how terrifying and unfamiliar the place was to me. I guess we can all relate to this, deciding between growth and comfort.

I chose growth over comfort. And it’s safe to say that us wearing our black gowns and togas is a testament of how the rewards of our growth will far outweigh the safety of traveling the comfortable road.

I applied to my course, Governance and Public Affairs, in August 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic. It was a newly offered course, which makes us pioneer students and first graduates of this program. This program was the reason I got drawn to studying in CSB. In embracing this newly offered program, I found not just an academic pursuit but a transformative journey.

This program served as more than a pre-law course to me; it became my crucible for understanding the intricate tapestry of society, the delicate balance of power and the profound responsibilities that come with it.

The country was in such a drastic state then up until now. Students struggled in every aspect of their lives.

I’d say our batch is one of the most resilient batches of graduates, not only did we lose two years of our college life and our youth, stuck at home, some of us lost loved ones too. I lost my only sister, Zash, last year. It felt awful that the only choice we had was to go forward. Even though it was easier to drop everything and wallow in our grief, because what is grief but love with no place to go.

Our resilience did not teach us how to accept the way things are; it taught us how significant good governance and accountability can impact our lives. It resounds with the empowering truth that our voices are not just heard but wield the potential to make a profound difference.

Our country needs a new generation of leaders, lawyers, diplomats, even artists and business people, who will implement a strong sense of duty to promote the interests and human rights of the disadvantaged