Upholding RIGHTS, Transforming LIVES

She is standing in the hallway—looking at the roster of newly-bred leaders in the legal profession marked and furnished on the university’s wall of fame. She dreams of seeing her name on the same wall, too. Exactly a year from this day, she will face the final bout. After realizing this, she felt her heart skip a beat. No, she’s not nervous. She’s excited. She knows that she will make it. She will not just pass the bar examinations next year—she will be one of the country’s bar topnotchers of her generation.

She is Angeline. A woman of compassion and commitment to promote and uphold the rights of every individual and to transform their lives. She has finally graduated from De La Salle University’s College of Law and is now preparing for next year’s Bar Exams. She stays in their family’s house in Taft Avenue, Manila from Monday to Friday, but she spends her weekends with her family in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Today, she decided to spend her Saturday in the university library. Just like her usual routine, she goes to the place and heads for her favorite spot—the sofa near the periodicals section. She reaches for the newspaper and reads the headlines of the day. She jots down the top news and writes her reaction about these on her notes. This has been her habit ever since she had a professor in the graduate school who asks them to assiduously comment on the everyday issues being faced by the country.

After spending some time in reading newspapers, she went to the bookshelves and started looking for books that she need in studying International Law and Politics. After gathering enough sources, she went to a private room where law graduates preparing for bar exams usually stay. Angeline treats this place as sacred. The four-cornered room is like a praying room for her. There, she totally forgets the outside world and focuses on every word that the books say. There, she will be seen wearing her reading glasses, her head bowed down in concentration.

Actually, Angeline’s first passion is to help other people through medical missions and saving lives. She dreamt of being a doctor when she was in high school. However, as she became more aware of the things that are happening in her country, she realized that the Philippines is faced with so many challenges and complexities that continue to grow day by day. The country needs just and morally upright leaders in the practice of law. The Philippines needs new class of lawyers with a culture of heart.

Angeline is not yet a lawyer, but she knows that her time to be one is bound to happen soon. Deep in her heart, she promises that when she finally reaches that dream, she will continue her burning passion for justice and her desire to serve the Philippines. She knows that someday, her dream will be turned into reality—a reality that will empower every Filipino in her country. 

Blurt It Out Through Writing

Have you had an experience when you said something to another person that you later wish you hadn’t? I often have.

You probably felt the feeling that you want to speak, but you are too tired to do so. You may have also experienced a time when you’re too eager to air the things you have in mind, but you just can’t. However, there are other ways where you can express and vent your unsaid words—one is through writing on a personal journal.

Writing on a journal helps you reflect on your day-to-day experiences. In here, you don't have to be a great writer or a perfect speller to be able to write your entry for the day. All you have to do is to review the things you did the whole day and jot it down. Unlike in writing on your diary, you are not just describing the things you did in one day, you may also write your realizations on what took place and express emotions and understandings about them.

Your journal is a great place to plan and review your goals. It is always a better thing to keep yourself reminded of the things you want to achieve. Seeing your goals written is an excellent way to motivate yourself. You may also use it in doing your weekly plan. By writing down your things-to-do for the whole week, you are able to prioritize the things that need urgent attention. This is also a determining factor whether you are accomplishing your goals on time or not.

Through journal-writing, you are able to process your feelings. When you hold intense emotions in your heart, there is a tendency that you’ll burst and blurt it all out. The next thing you’ll know, you have already injured the feelings of other people. It may be hard but in times like these, in order not to cause further misunderstandings, you just have to walk away because striking back won’t do you any good. Settle in a quiet place. Grab your journal and write it all there. Removing yourself from the situation and writing your emotions equate counting to ten before saying anything. In doing this, you are not just doing yourself a favor, you are also healing other people’s feelings as well.

The words that you utter have the power to heal or to hurt. Most of time, you use it for the latter. Words, once spoken, can leave a mark on another person’s memory forever. In writing, you can always carefully choose the words that you want to say, but in speaking, you can never undo words that were already spoken.

To Err is Human

Most of us would agree that high school years were certainly the best years of our lives. I finished my secondary education in a public school where students come from various walks of life and where the population is too big that the administration could not afford to provide enough conducive rooms and educators to its students. When I was in my fourth year, I was so excited and, at the same time, nervous to face the new chapter in my life after graduation. The thought of entering college scares me, but this is not the case after I first set foot in one of the rooms inside the university.

I am a college scholar since my first year in Angeles University Foundation. I have been active in my extra-curricular activities and I’ve experienced handling different positions both college-based and university wide organizations. During my first year, I was elected as a vice-president of one of the organizations in the campus. That experience opened my eyes and made me realize that college life is far more different than high school. I’ve seen and feel how hard it was to handle a position in an atmosphere that is almost like the outside world.

My experience of being a student-leader did not end there. More positions came and more doors of opportunities were opened. While being active in my extra-curricular activities, I did not sacrifice my time in academics. Since first year, I have been recognized as one of the top students in the college. I have also experienced joining regional competitions and national seminars particularly in the field of journalism. I realized that in college, I must learn how to manage my time well. I am the type of student who would not just sit there and watch other people move and lead. I believe that I am more of a leader and a follower, and since I choose to be a student-leader, I must know how to effectively balance my attention between leading and studying.

Now that I am already on my third year in college, one thing that I keep on reminding myself is that college life is a choice, and in making a choice, I should never regret anything. We are human and it’s normal if we make a mistake. To err is to grow up. What is important is that we learn from each failure and promise to give our best shot the next time.