Serendipity
Assumption Education - a gift!
(Part 2 of 2)
One of my most vivid memories of high school was Reflection Period where we all had to sit quietly, either on the benches outside or inside the classrooms and "reflect" on the gospel of the day. We had to write in our Reflection notebooks our personal prayers and our (what else!) reflections while soft, instrumental, spiritual music was played in the background.
I remember how my other classmates had to struggle to fill up their notebooks while battling the evils of sleep (Reflection Period was at 1- 1:30 p.m. right after lunch - a time conducive to sleep). I, on the other hand, had a ball doing it. It was like my daily writing exercise where I could flex my writing muscles as well as keep tabs on my spiritual growth (of course, I'd be a hypocrite now if I say that all of my reflections came from the heart and from my deep relationship with the Lord. There were times when I just wasn't in the mood and had to fake it - writing skills came in handy during these moments).
For a time I did resent the daily 30-minute silent hiatus (it was also called Silence Period by the way), because for a bunch of pubescent teens, there was nothing worse than not being able to talk for 30 minutes. I know now of course, that those moments are just few of the things that define the Assumptionista from all the others.
I don't know how it is now, but during my time, it was not just academics that was given importance. More than anything else, we were "raised" by the school to be women of character, substance and depth. And although at times we appeared to be a bunch of mababaw sosyaleras who had the reputation of having our own pidgin language (she made tusok-tusok the fishball), we knew what we were made of. Even before the popularity of "girl power", we already knew we had it. And this same power was what we equipped ourselves with when we left the school to go off to college and to the real world.
During my college days in UP, all my Assumption training was put to test and put to good use. Because of it, I was able to interact well with everybody without the usual promdi inferiority and was also able to build a good network of friends. I guess, without sounding like an elitist, it's not hard to do networking when you come from a good, reputable school. But what really came in handy was the fact that I didn't have to adjust during tests or exams. I was so used to essay exams and written reports in Assumption that when I went to UP, I just breezed through them. Literature was also taught well in Assumption which made my 7 a.m. Shakespeare class a no-brainer even without enough sleep or breakfast (yes, I was that crazy and that confident to get a 7 a.m. Shakespeare Class schedule - me and around 5 other nerds).
They say that college, especially when you go to UP, is a microcosm of real life and the real world. But I credit having successfully finished it unscathed -- without being a radical tibak (activist), a sorority quitter or a chronic course switcher -- to the education, the foundation and the values I've learned from the Assumption.
And so, I guess it is just fitting and right for me to thank my alma mater for everything that I have become. My journey in life is also far from over, and so, as I venture into future chapters of my life, I know that my education, my experiences and the values that I have learned from the school will always be with me.
To all you old girls and boys, see you in 2010 as we celebrate 100 years of excellent Assumption education! "Assomption sans frontieres."