Ang SuperEpic Stories ay isang bagong series dito sa aking blog. I will feature stories from characters from the Bible, from history, and in our present day that illustrates the ideas and concepts in the book: “May Powers Ka to Be #SuperEpic.”
Feel free to use this as part of your devotion or study at para na rin matulungan ka para maging mas mabuting leader. Share it with your friends, too.
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Ateneo Graduate Pero…
Kung graduate ka ng alin man sa mga big universities sa Pinas gaya ng UP, UST, Ateneo de Manila or La Salle, people generally expect you to pursue a career in the corporate world or doon sa mga prestigious at medyo mataas ang sahod na trabaho, like the BPO industry.
Pero kung Ateneo de Manila graduate ka tapos mag-aapply ka sa isang public school bilang isang teacher? A lot of people might question your sanity. Gaya ng nangyari kay Sabrina Ongkiko.
In a TedX event at the Ateneo de Manila University in 2013, she told the story of how and WHY she chose the road less traveled and applied as a public school teacher at Culiat Elementary School.
Sa isang banda weird nga siguro kasi ang hinahanap ng maraming malalaking companies sa Pilipinas ay mga graduates ng big universities: UP, UST, DLSU, at AdMU. [Source: Jobstreet via Inquirer.net].
Given a choice between a salary of P18,000 or P50,000, siempre, mas maraming pipili nung P50,000! Mahirap pulutin at ipunin yan no? Kung pipiliin mo yung P18,000, puwedeng sabihin sa iyo ng mga magulang at kaibigan mo: “Sayang ang pinag-aralan mo!’
So imagine the surprise of other applicants and teachers sa DepEd nung nag-apply si Ms. Ongkiko.
Ikinuwento niya ang kanyang experience sa kanyang TEDXTalk:
Yung mismong interview ko sa Division Office ng Dep-Ed, tinanong ako ng interviewer, tiningnan yung papel ko, sabi niya “O ang ganda ng credentials mo. O bakit hindi ka na l ang magturo sa private school o kaya ituloy mo iyong pagdo-doctor mo.” Parang ako “Ma’am, parang hindi yata ako tanggap,” di ba? Mismong iyong mga co-teachers ko nung una, sinasabihan ako na baka sayang lang yung oras ko sa Culiat Elementary School na makikita ko na mahirap magturo sa public school at lilipat din ako sa private.
Parang lahat po sinasabi na mali yung desisyon ko.
Idealism at Work.
Ganyan siguro talaga pag tinamaan ka ng matinding idealism and a sense of responsibility–na gusto mong maging part ng pagbabago, na may power ka to help change the world.
Kung ipupursue mo ang iyong youthful idealism, there is a price to be paid. Puwedeng hindi ka yumaman. Okay lang ba yun sa iyo?
Iba-iba tayo ng path na sinusundan. Pero what I like about Ms. Ongkiko is that she held on to her idealism. Alam niya ang cost ng pinili niyang career path.
Naalala ko tuloy yung sabi ni Jesus sa Matthew 16:25-26 — “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
Sometimes becoming #SuperEpic means embracing the uncertainty and choosing the path less traveled.
Watch her full TedXTalk below:
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Basahin ang “May Powers Ka to Be #SuperEpic” to grow as a youth leader. Puwede mo rin itong gamitin to train others! Just go tohttp://BeSuperEpic.com
How about you? May #SuperEpic Stories ka ba?
If meron, tell your story in 350-500 words. Puwedeng English, Tagalog, or Taglish. Basta anything that can help other young leaders become #SuperEpic!