Took a Leap

-

 

Officially going down the hill, so just this once, let me be on time rather than late.

Sometimes you make the right decisions on a whim. You make a choice that is beyond grasp, beyond rationality, and beyond your own understanding of where you should be. I spent a lot of years thinking that I'd be bleeding maroon. I spent even more years thinking that I'd be stuck in my hometown. I chose Ateneo despite that. As soon as I saw the course description in the college viewbook, I knew what I wanted to do.
Screw expectations. Screw finances. Screw literally all of the friendships that I had built in the past six years. I put myself on the other side of Katipunan, and I was alone.
I reflect on this early, lonely start to my college life a lot. Now I can finally say that it's over. The space above my condo's desk isn't just post-it reminders about schoolwork anymore; it's pictures of me and my friends, art and poetry that speak to me, and keychains of my favorite anime characters. I keep an envelope that is bursting with tickets, souvenir programs, and brochures of movies, plays, and games that I've watched, cons that I've attended, and parties that I definitely haven't drank too much at. I've performed on stage. I've written for a major news site. I've submitted a paper about Chainsaw Man for finals and got an A for it. I, for some godforsaken reason, have gotten into League of Legends . . . and that's just the top of the list for things that I didn't expect I'd ever want or ever have the capability to do. They're certainly things that would have been inconceivable without the friends, orgmates (special shout-out to BBI 🐃), family, profs, and community that have supported me, through and through.
I learned a lot of lessons at Ateneo. But the first lesson is one that I got before I ever set foot on Loyola Heights: when I sought advice from the Atenean speaker at my last high school recollection, and she quoted the legendary Fr. Ferriols — "Lundagin mo, baby."
Nilundag ko nga. At lulundag pa. Maraming salamat, Ateneo.
For your white and blue.
Jean Dorothy B. Andrada
Bachelor of Science, Major in Life Sciences
Minor in Development and the Law
Cum Laude
Program Awardee
Ateneo de Manila University, Class of 2023

JDBAndrada 7.01.2023
All reactions:
Evelyn Botea, Luting Aguilar and 47 others

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NAT Reviewer (2) - Araling Panlipunan IV

-
NAT REVIEWER 2 - ARALING PANLIPUNAN IV 1.        Bakit na itinuturing na isang agham ang ekonomiks? Ⓐ     Sumasaklaw ito sa pagpapahalaga sa kultura at tradisyon ng bansa. Ⓑ     Pamamahagi ito ng kita ng pamahalaan sa mga taumbayan. Ⓒ     Pagsama-sama ito ng mga datos para pag-aralan ang bilang ng mga           nandadayuhan sa bansa. Ⓓ     Ito’y paghati-hati ng mga limitadong pinagkukunang-yaman para matugunan          ang mga pangangailangan ng  tao sa lipunan. 2.        Ang sibika ay tumutukoy sa maayos na pakikipag-ugnayan ng mga mamamayan  sa isa’t-isa at sa pamahalaan.   Binibigyan pansin dito ang mga tungkulin at karapatan ng bawat panig.   Alin sa mga pangyayari ang nagpapamalas ng ganitong ugnayan sa pagitan ng ekonomiks at sibika bilang isang agham panlipunan?  Ⓐ      Nahirapan si Mang Ben na dalhin sa pamilihan ang ani dahil sa sira-sirang kalsada.   Ⓑ     Maginhawang natapos ang pag-aaral ni Rey dahil sa iskolarship na bigay ng pamahalaan.   Ⓒ    Ma
Read more

MTOT for G10 in Araling Panlipunan: An Impression

-
                I packed my things quite late due to some hesitation because I had not been feeling well due to the summer heat. A week prior to the Mass Training of Teachers (MTOT)   I diligently took my medicine to be assured that I would be A-Okey.                   The early morning bus to Iloilo was cramped with teachers attending the MTOT.   Familiar faces boarded the Ceres Liner and together with my two co-teachers we took the time sleeping to catch the lost hours of a good night sleep.                 Proceeding to St. Paul’s University, we were greeted by courteous and beautiful looking young students who directed us to our places of concern.   Things went on smoothly.                 At the Opening Program, one line that came from Bro. Armin Luistro struck me: “Sow the seed of education in every child, nurture it and let it grow”.    For me who had personal objections and dilemma about the K-12 Program got caught with my responsibility as a teacher.   Silently, I
Read more

The Catcher In The Rye and The Concept of Communication

-
"If you really want to hear about it," protagonist Holden Caulfield opens, with his signature drawl, "the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born . . . and all that David Copperfield kind of crap (Salinger, 1)." Already, his voice is distinct and unbearably sarcastic, showing incredible disdain in so few words. A first-time reader of the classic novel may be surprised at his crassness and tone, and undoubtedly this was the general reaction when the famed Catcher In The Rye was first published in 1951. However, over time, the infamous novel by the reclusive J.D. Salinger has garnered almost universal praise, and is now one of the most widely taught novels in the United States (Aubry, n.p.). The story concerns Holden Caulfield, a smart but troubled kid who, after being expelled from his boarding school in December 1949, spends his time wandering New York City, mourning for the loss of innocence in children, and failing to understand th
Read more