Whenever I think of evolutions, one of the first few creatures that come to mind is Pikachu from the pokemon world who can turn into Raichu. Like this creature, I've undergone an evolutionary process too, to become the Jemarkable being I am today.
In my early school days, my parents discovered that I can actually pass kindergarten year despite being early by one year. My parents, being both teachers, took my summer months as primer months for me to advance study the relevant topics before the school year starts. At first, it was an external pressure to succeed academically, but when I went to high school, I discovered the pressure became internal.
During my time, having stellar academics isn't the only way to become "1st Honor" as they also factor in the extra-curricular. With that in mind, I joined essay writing, journalism, math quiz bees, research fairs, and all sorts of competitions that require brainpower. I went to build my credibility in the space and became one of the few well-decorated students in a 2000-plus population of high school students. There was even a time when I held back-to-back events like essay writing, sports writing, and research fair presentations, all in one week. At that time, I was so immersed in a super busy schedule but I persevered knowing that at least any of the seeds I planted at that time could yield any positive result. And then I came to be the toughest essay writer in our division, to a point where the judges (teachers) already know my writing style and became fond of it. I got to win a national essay writing stint about science as a champion, got to reach the national level for sports writing, and eventually got to publish an article in Nobel Peace Prize 2021 awardee Maria Ressa's news outlet Rappler. Given that rich extra-curricular junior high school, it was no surprise that the winning streak continued in my senior high school (SHS).
I transitioned from the rural Isabela province to urban Taguig city (~500KM away) for my SHS and eventually landed a slot to compete in the international math arena. That was after around 16-20 weeks' worth of math training through Mathematics Trainers Guild (MTG). As I was studying at Taguig Science High School at that time, the local government of Taguig sponsored our flight, accommodations, HK Disneyland tours, and transportation for my Hong Kong international Math Olympiad stint where I got the Bronze medal. With that medal, I then received the Student of Excellence Award from our Department of Education (DepEd) and Youth of Excellence in Science from our Department of Science and Technology. I was really extra during that time.
In fact, there was also something extra I was doing at that time because I was living half of my day as a student and half as someone who manages the total marketing side of our family business of selling laptops and computer accessories in e-commerce. At an early age, I was slapped with the real deal of business but I learned to swim my way to survive and thrive in that high-demand environment. Our boss was notorious especially if the quality of the output was subpar or if she feels I was slacking. Despite the odd setup, it taught me the value of having good work ethics by making sure all deliverables are being done on time, and it also taught me the marketing levers we can control especially for those doing consumer goods and e-commerce.
With a good narrative coming into college, I got accepted to scholarships including that from Ateneo de Manila University where my course was supposed to be entrepreneurial, named BS Management Honors (only offered to the top 15% of examinees). Meanwhile, I also passed BS in Business Administration and Accountancy, one of the most sought after (if not the most sought after) degrees in our country, offered by no less than the University of the Philippines Diliman (#1 in the Philippines based on THE, QS Rankings). Despite ADMU appearing to be a better fit for my personal tastes, I followed my parent's advice to go to a state-sponsored university like UPD where my tuition is surely free because we can't afford to pay tuition fees in the event that I fail (although I believe ADMU management is considerate in scholarships). I eventually learned to love UPD.
Being the super extra kid, I had an elaborate excel file for case competitions and internships I can join for the entirety of my stay at UP. I just know from a consulting guy that I should at least have good grades, be in a leadership position in any student organization, and have at least two A-level internships so I can be marketable after college.
In a long and painful journey, I was able to win eight national case competitions, led some great student organizations, and got to experience interning in only the #1 organizations (yes only top tier institutions). I felt like every bit of transition from my acad-centric elementary, to contest-heavy JHS, to my dual life during my senior HS, and to now well-decorated but high-accountability college life was important. It was as if I transitioned from Pichu to Pikachu, to Raichu, getting stronger each phase.
Now, as I am about to graduate, the possibilities are endless and I have some inclination as to where I wanna go. It was difficult to articulate clearly what I want out of that industry/role; I'm still learning more about myself too. The first job is super crucial and I feel like I am an Evee with many potential evolutionary elements to choose from. Until then, I'll keep smiling like the dino of the firm I'm currently working for, waiting for my next evolution.
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