I am always a firm believer in success brought by hard work in life. Experiencing childhood in Iligan City otherwise branded as the "City of Majestic Waterfalls", I've always been open to what life brings me. They say that a child at an early age often binds himself to curiosity, as born Iliganon we have always conceded to that. Children's curiosity is the simplest form of progress. Progress in expanding our knowledge and eagerness on things. I have always been curious about life and I think this gives me the reason for how I became a leader and catalyst for change at the same time.
Blessed to have a family of five, I became the second youth that is being introduced to this world by my mama Laresa and papa Michael C. Corpuz. Even when I'm just little, my parents taught me things in life which I do not foresee doing in the future. Rolling back to the days where I was admitted to a Daycare Center, all are doing smoothly for a while. I resemble those normal children who discover satisfaction in blending and chilling with different children my age. I am accustomed to the child's nature of living. I cry for stuff that is worth my tears for and I also laugh with something that entertains me. My life back then was so awesome, earning to write numbers and letters were my forte. But then again I have to make headway from the environment I use to live.
When I was five years of age, I'm at an appropriate age to enter Kindergarten school. My mama admitted me to Kindergarten 1 at the school near the place where we settled. I cried upon seeing new faces and the new environment. Back then, I do not care if I throw tantrums inside the four-cornered walls painted with flamboyant hues that were used to amuse a child’s interest like me. I did not stop crying unless I saw my mama's figure waiting for me outside the window. As months go by, I have learned to acclimate to being a Kinder pupil. Over the long haul, I've had the option to cherish an incredible method of learning things. I completed my Kindergarten 1 without a hitch. Strips and awards intrigued my eyes when commencement practices rolled and by then I'm determined to do it again the next time. Before my mom enrolled me for Kindergarten 2, she decided to let me join summer classes. It was such major assistance for me to not scarcely adapt to the lessons to discuss the following school year. I was extremely outfitted and prepared to battle Kindergarten 2 around then. Those test questionnaires or even the perusing and writing assessments were never really a threat to me. Day after day, I will not let myself go home without a single star stamp from my teacher indicating that I do good in class each passing day. I got perfect scores in most of my test papers and I always end up mastering reading and writing in class. Normally, children at my age cry for help to answer those assessments but I don't. So when graduation rites for my Kindergarten batch have come, I fend-off the noteworthy spot in the class earning the Valedictorian award. I remembered being so happy at that time for my papa made me a candy festoon for my graduation. Those things inspired me to do a lot more better.
I was seven back then when I entered Grade 1 at my Alma Mater Angelico J. Medina Memorial School. I belong to the star section and I never really thought that someone could take the spotlight away from me. I started growing this competitive side within me towards my classmate whom I consider a threat to my spot. I did my absolute best to set the bar high however I surmise that destiny was not on my side on those occasions. I ended up bad about knowing I came second in the official ranking. I don't know why but I'm so enamored with the feeling of being at the center always and it crushed me as a child to be placed second in the ranking. Grade 2 days came and I strive for first place again and I did. When my grade 3 years came we became classmates again with the one who stowed the spotlight from me way back in my Grade 1 day. I felt compromised and I realized that there's only one approach to discover who genuinely is the best among both of us. With flourishing energy to place first, I studied hard and did my very best to prove my worth. By the end of the school year, I also end up being the top 1 in my class leaving the other one being top 2 at that moment. The hard work that I have done finally transpired as my noteworthy achievements. Since then, I became the representative of the school for every competition we've been joining. I never let every competition pass without winning something, be it quiz bees, spelling bees, sports competitions, and many more. I have been selected as the Supreme Pupil Government (SPG) President by my time. I landed on every star section each grade level I enrolled myself into. By this, I have loved the feeling of being the top 1 in the class for Grades 4 and 5 back then. When I became a graduating student at the Grade 6 level, I did my best to land high. I studied hard to taste the sweet fruit of my labor. And when graduation rites came, I ended as the class Valedictorian of our batch. The feeling of wearing numerous medals and ribbons with my graduation toga is the most wonderful part of that time. As I delivered my speech as the class Valedictorian, I can't help but feel so delighted for the achievements in those years I have acquired, the people who looked up to me, and the ones who support me every time. That milestone was worth remembering. I have always wanted the limelight. The feeling of stardom is overwhelming me. Until then I'm ready to face another chapter of my life.
At age 13, I was admitted to the city's most eminent school, Iligan City National High School. When I first step inside the institution, I can't help but be fascinated by the tall buildings and vast students surrounding me. I was in complete shock by the new environment condition at that time and I knew that I had to step myself up. Roughly 7000 students were being admitted to that school right at those moments. I'm under the Basic Education Curriculum at that time. I'm in the first section out of 26 sections of freshmen in my batch and I felt relieved to maintain my first section record in every grade level I intend to attend. As it was time for presenting oneself to the class, I'm in awe for every moment that has passed. Turns out that I cursed our section at that time. We're a class of valedictorians, salutatorians, and students with flying colors back when we are in our Elementary days. I know I need to compete with others to elevate myself at that time. I study so very hard that I tend to lose weight because of my consciousness to bring out good grades and high spots in the honorable ranking. I pan out placing a bit far of the top ten rankings at the end of the school year and I felt very bad about it.
In my sophomore year, I had to step out of my shell. I started joining clubs, participated in events, and hosted ceremonies in school. I joined numerous activities that the school offers. I was under the star section and thus it was the time that I was introduced to running as the SSG's Grade 9 representative. The pressure was all on me. I need to place high and hit the mark in the honorable ranking and I also need to bag one of the four places in the SSG organization. Fortunately, by the grace bestowed upon me, I was able to do well in both goals I desire to accomplish.
In my grade 9 years, the toughness of the institution's demand for passing is exceptionally constraining me. Adding to the pressure is when being placed at the star section again and being elected as one of the new SSG's Grade 9 Representatives. I also became a journalist at that time, a feature writer to be exact. We join wide school competitions, being participated by different public and private schools throughout thirteen school districts in the city. It was quite a challenging drought of sleep and a massive rainstorm of activities, quizzes, and exams at that time. Those years made me cry out of frustrations and I stressed myself throughout the way. I need to let myself shine compared to the others. I need to excel among them. That was what I've been thinking by the moment and I'm surely wrong about that. Then I've realized that we don't need a bunch of unhealthy competition and we don't need to look bad at all times. We just need to recover and help each other out to advance ourselves up. That school year proves me to believe that "Star sections are not the perfect section each person is dreaming of, we made a lot of mistakes and we correct it to sound good the next time around. We were just ordinary students coupled with great enthusiasm for learning and cultivating progress for better men." By then, I was pushed to run for the position of Secretary by my organization at that time and won the political race. I also got to be part of the honorable ranking in the class and I'm overwhelmed by it. That school year was indeed a crazy ride.
My life being a tenth-grade student is also a very tiring school year for me. We will be having our commencement in the form of a moving-up ceremony rather than having a graduation rites ceremony as per instruction by the K-12 curriculum plan. We join various contests in school. I choreographed jingle contests, hip-hop competition, and cheer dance competition. Luckily we won and bagged spots we never thought of having. We have been consecutive champions for Jingle contests and the first runners up of the school's hip-hop competition. I had been elected as the newly SSG Secretary at that time. I was very busy at those trying moments. Now and then we would have a tight call notice of the conference and that’s the thing that made me pale. I know I had to give up my piled priorities by then. Speaking of schedules where my time creates conflicts with either my journalism club, my SSG organization duties, practices for competitions, and on-call projects/activities that require instant submission. I know I have to stand my verdict to let go of the others and try catching up with it after. That was a very tough choice to do because I both have an immense role being played on those platforms I'm in. Right after this, I was told to run as the Presidential candidate by my organization. My experiences so far, I know I have to step it up, fill the shoes as the president, and make a superb leader. On a lucky call, I won the Presidential election, and almost 75% of my co-officer under my pennant won their respective positions. That was the thing that molds me and what makes me better. Those learnings that I have procured are indeed the worst and the most enjoyable of my experiences, I guess?
By the time I conceded myself to my senior years, being a grade 11 student means a new environment for me to adjust. I was under the Academic track, Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand. I don't have the foggiest idea why I decide to be on that strand. I foremostly intended to seek after to pursue pre-law courses on tertiary education to attain Law school by then and it turns out far from being a STEM student who exclusively centers around logical and numerical inductions. Headaches were just an understatement for the things my body is feeling. In our class of 54 students with diverse educational backgrounds, the differences we have from each other make studying more exciting. We would have different perceptions upon things and it intensified me, thinking that I will be honing my mental abilities to fastly think. We have undergone various activities and competitions en route and it disheartens me thinking how are we going to manage our time well. We were stunned by our timetables back then. I have to adjust my time well while practicing, scholastic purposes, and extracurricular exercises. Apart from these things, the pressure is on my side again. Acting as the newly elected SSG president is such a big shoe to fill in. Other than this, I am elected as the Federated SPG/SSG Officer, the largest organization of SPG/SSG youth leaders in our city. I have to connect gaps for all things I have joined. Not to mention the numerous meetings, activities, and events I need to spearhead. I also need to have a high spot at the class ranking at that time. Then again, by the grace given upon me, I have completed the school year with pride. I garnered spots in the class that is considered high enough for me. Then, I triumphantly end my term with lots of enjoyment. I never really felt that overwhelmed before. The feeling of ceasing from your battle after winning it is what I felt after all the months of hard work in school. Those things were enough for me. I have proven myself best for what I've done. I made a name for myself and I also gained respect from the people I admired the most on my journey. Life gives me thunderstorms but then again shows me rainbows after all the rain.
Right now, I'm an incoming Grade 12 student under the STEM strand in Iligan City National High School. A website manager at the Nanolabs LRC Co. Ltd., for blogging and article write-ups. You truly can do well when you put forth a valiant effort at all things. On the off chance that an open door is broadly spreading its arms to you, seize it because that will show you the art of pleasure in the long run.
We ought to be appreciative throughout everyday life. However hard is the mission you're going through, as long as you take steps to finish it is worth your sacrifices in life. As our dear Confucius has told us, "It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop", let us not be frail from failures thus we should fight and bloom as what everyone expects us to be. Every journey starts with a solitary step. You just have to suffer agony, and you'll be tasting the pleasantness of accomplishment over the long haul. Always reminisce that delayed gratification is a must to remember, do hard work now and enjoy life later. It is easy to do. We can do better than what we have if we believed that impossible things can be aided by creative minds and actions. I am Carlo Jay C. Corpuz, a pioneer and an impetus for change. Undoubtedly great satisfaction comes right after immense perseverance in life. I know you can do a lot better!