Originally accepted into Harvard, I decided getting my prerequisites in-state would be the financially sound decision and then finishing my advanced classes for premed in Harvard. But as I finished my first program, I liked the emphasis on learning and not the number of credits like I was taught. After years of hyper-competitive advanced academia in public school, I actually enjoyed learning, so I decided to stay.
I like the freedom to choose which and what classes you can take. The suggested programs set up many students for success yet also allow flexibility with alternative classes or Independent Learning Contracts. As someone interested in almost every subject, I was able to study everything that’s ever interested me.
It is only thanks to scholarships, grants, and the emergency funds that I am where I am today. The scholarships have helped me save money so I can pay rent, afford my life-sustaining medication, and not have emergency car repairs, medical bills, or other life emergencies force me to choose between school and life. Then in the long-term, they’ve supported my family and I to recover from the hardships of the rural Filipino countryside. I’m the first in my family to get an office job since the 1940’s and the first in my family to even start a master’s degree – and soon, I’ll be the first to get one ever.
As one of those students who only ate once a day, was in class or work from 7AM to 11:45PM, and lived in a slum property, scholarships showed me that I - and people like me - deserve to pursue their dreams without unnecessary hardship. Once I got scholarships, I was able to sit back and actually enjoy my classes without sacrificing my basic needs. After settling into a new, better routine, I now had time to tutor other students. Fast forward to graduate school, scholarships are still helping me do what I love: giving back to the community who still believes in me.
I love tutoring and supporting the Physical Computing Center in my spare time. Not everyone gets to explore every single interest they have in college through a college course or program, so the second best is through a club or extracurricular. Since I’ve taken classes in almost every subject, I can at least help them with introductory studies or utilize research skills to dive deeper if my skills or knowledge aren’t extensive enough.
Additionally, I love attending many of the community-oriented events on campus. Like I said previously, my upbringing in academia was about grades and hyper-competition. To be in community with the people I learn with is a breath of fresh air and I wish this was how my high school was. But at the very least, I have the opportunity to connect now, and I take every chance I get.
After I graduate, I’ll continue supporting anyone who wants to get a college education. Whether I’m tutoring, teaching, or engaging the legislature for affordable and accessible higher education, giving back to the community is my life’s goal. Then on the side, I’m going to keep exploring art as I was taught to never consider them as viable careers – only hobbies to keep to myself.
