This post was originally created back in 2018 as part of a project for MMS 100. I’ve decided to put it here in my blog as a self-reflection of my journey in UPOU.
So here’s a question I wrote to my notebook before I started writing this blog entry, why go back to school? At 34 someone should have a stable job and is growing his/her own family, those things will take a lot of that person’s time and suck all of his/her energy. That person should be, ideally, at the top of his career and going back to school would never be in his mind (well, unless he/she is an educator).
But, first please let me tell you a bit about myself:
I came from a fatherless home, a family that is barely making ends meet. So, my mother needed to work and she would leave me and my sister every day to our lola who would then feed and remind us to go home from playing outside when its 6PM. We even had a harder time when our mother remarried and chose to leave us in the care of our grandparents who were already living on a tight budget. I had to find ways to send myself to high school by making fireworks (you know those 5-stars, or triangles that always rob kids of their fingers and sometimes even feet or arms, we roll them by hand with the explosive powder inside the paper while tucking in the wick and seal it with paste made from flour with vinegar that smells worse than an unchanged pair of socks) and with this difficulty, I knew early on that going to college was impossible for me. I can’t afford the tuition, I barely had money for snacks when I was studying so it’s a no-brainer. Obtaining a scholarship was a big joke because I was a regular absentee on my classes so my grades are not that impressive.
So I decided to continue working. I had several jobs, some of them are a bit odd. I was a helper at a store, then, a computer assistant, a formal title to the guy who would scribble the time in of those kids renting PCs, then, charge them according to the hours they accumulate (the Net Café system was not yet invented back then). I was also a Jollibee service crew, (they kicked me out because of poor performance after 2 months) a factory worker, promodiser, and a sales clerk (where I accidentally hit my index finger with a butcher’s knife while serving chickens). All these jobs barely fed me, sometimes I would give to my grandmother part of my salary so she can keep her small eatery running.
With no college diploma, my opportunities are limited. I am stuck with these 6-months job that would render me unemployed when the contract is up. One day my uncle told me about a scholarship for a small trade school in his town. I took my chances, signed up, worked on the exam, passed, and finally got accepted. And by God’s grace I was able to graduate under the I.C.T. program majoring in programming. This was also the time I came into grace and became a Christian.
But, getting that vocational diploma was a sure grind. With little support, I cleaned the quarters of my teacher, did laundry for my roommate in exchange for detergent so I can wash my clothes, volunteered to work at our school’s media office for free hours in front of the PC learning HTML and more Photoshop, and for free coffee of course. It felt like heaven when I graduated, the 2-year diploma that I held in my hand shone like gold.
I was 24 when I entered college, 27 when I graduated and had my first office job as a web designer. Some of my skills entering this industry were self-taught, although I had the blessing of being trained by my seniors at work (I am older than them, but they are more experienced so I’ll call them that).
So, again, why go back to school when I’m already 34? This is something that I really want to do for my family and career. I am aware that getting a formal training about design is the next step to further my profession as a web designer. The problem with vocational schools is that they will teach you to master specific applications and technologies without covering essential theories and core concepts. They are more concern with the “hows” than the “whys” and “ whats”. It’s understandable since these schools want their students to be job-ready as soon as they graduate.
Top Left: ASHTEC, my first alma mater. It was a boarding school for the underprivileged youth. It gave me the education I needed to finally compete and get a fighting chance to escape poverty. Bottom Left: My story was publish at the school’s official website. Quick Fact, I was hired by the school after graduation, but I left after almost a year. Right: my college diploma. Some might say “two tears lang?”, but that 2-years of vocational education was like gold to me. I value it for it finally gave me an opportunity to get a decent job and support myself and help my family.
I wish to finally get a bachelor’s degree. As I was writing on my notebook, I was asking myself if the hurdles I had here at UP are worth it. I believe that this is God’s grace, again, that He let me pass the exam, and finally experience studying at a prestigious university even at 34. But, I am also thankful to my first alma mater, whom some of its staffs have treated me like family. They helped me to hope again and work harder to pursue my goal. I will not be here at UP without them. My race here at OU is also for them. I’ll wear that sablay someday and hang my UP diploma on our wall. I felt that my poverty has deprived me of the opportunity of accomplishing these feat earlier in my life. But, as I look back again, those hardships have prepared me to my destination and taught me to appreciate every chances and moment that the Lord has given and will give to me. He has also showed me that all the glitters of fame and fortune are nothing compared to His call of serving Him in this life.
I went back to school even when I am 34 because I want to give a good life to my wife and child. My current job has provided more than we need, yet, I am still hopeful for other things ahead of us so I’m getting ready. To my son, who just turned 1 this 2018, I wish I can give him a life different from what I had growing up. I hope he doesn’t have to miss meals, get bullied at school because his uniform were old and hands-me-down, or even brave the scorching heat while looking for a job with nothing but cold water fetched at SM Megamall’s food court in his stomach. I want him to take a different path and I’ll be there to guide him.
Finally, I realized that growth is continuous. That we will never arrive to the point that when we will no longer grow. I took my chances at UP so I can further improve in my profession as a web designer and as a manager. Studying here for almost two months not only increased my knowledge in design and multi-media, but has also reignited my love for my country and taught me to not only think for the future of my son, but to also think of how I can contribute to this country that we all call our motherland.
TLDR; It is worth it. As of 2024, I am only 12 units away from graduation. I wouldn’t have reached this far if it weren’t for God’s grace and my wife’s support and understanding.