Kalayaan College celebrated their 10th anniversary this year, and as I look back at my college days here, I can’t help but sigh at how fast time flew. I never thought that a small, but great school would mold me into the person that I am now and teach me the journey of life.
I came to Kalayaan College in 2004 back when it was in Riverbanks, Marikina. I did not expect much in this small college because it was the first time I heard about it, and it just served as filler for the first semester until I can transfer to a bigger school. Little did I know that I would be staying for four years and discovered qualities that I never had before.
At first, I just picked Journalism because it was related to my previous course. However, as the years progressed, KC helped me develop a passion for writing and critical thinking. Through the guidance of my Journalism and English professors, I was able to appreciate the art of writing, and I realized that I wanted a writing-related job so I can write about the things happening around us to make people understand and be aware of important issues. I knew I wanted to write for a cause.
Before, I never really cared about current events but KC also taught me to be aware of the events happening in our country. It opened me up to the realities of our country and how it affects us. And speaking of being open, the college also taught me to be open-minded and to voice out opinions to issues relevant to our lives. We also know that KC is a non-sectarian college and this helped me see things in different perspectives, thus I became somewhat of an “opne-minded Catholic.”
Then I met new people that I knew I would not easily meet in a big school. Since the population of KC is small, students from different years were friends with each other. This is one trait that I have always liked about Kalayaan College. Now, as an employee of KC, I have seen that this trait is still there despite transferring to a new place. I believe this will never disappear because KC students are very friendly and open in meeting new people.
Last, but definitely not the least, KC gave me the love of my life, somebody that I have been together with for five years now. He is also one of the few who helped me see things in a different perspective and to always see life on a positive note. I sometimes think that there are two reasons why God let me stay in KC: to learn more about life and to meet the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.
Being back in KC as an employee has made me nostalgic and happy in ways I could not imagine. Yes, I still miss the “Marikina Kalayaan College”, but the new Kalayaan College opens up new opportunities for their students. I know it will continue to mold students that will do great things and be happy in their own professions, just as I am now happy in researching and writing about different issues and events.
I congratulate Kalayaan College in their 10th foundation celebration and I hope its progress continues unabated in the years to come.
At first, I just picked Journalism because it was related to my previous course. However, as the years progressed, KC helped me develop a passion for writing and critical thinking. Through the guidance of my Journalism and English professors, I was able to appreciate the art of writing, and I realized that I wanted a writing-related job so I can write about the things happening around us to make people understand and be aware of important issues. I knew I wanted to write for a cause.
Before, I never really cared about current events but KC also taught me to be aware of the events happening in our country. It opened me up to the realities of our country and how it affects us. And speaking of being open, the college also taught me to be open-minded and to voice out opinions to issues relevant to our lives. We also know that KC is a non-sectarian college and this helped me see things in different perspectives, thus I became somewhat of an “opne-minded Catholic.”
Then I met new people that I knew I would not easily meet in a big school. Since the population of KC is small, students from different years were friends with each other. This is one trait that I have always liked about Kalayaan College. Now, as an employee of KC, I have seen that this trait is still there despite transferring to a new place. I believe this will never disappear because KC students are very friendly and open in meeting new people.
Last, but definitely not the least, KC gave me the love of my life, somebody that I have been together with for five years now. He is also one of the few who helped me see things in a different perspective and to always see life on a positive note. I sometimes think that there are two reasons why God let me stay in KC: to learn more about life and to meet the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.
Being back in KC as an employee has made me nostalgic and happy in ways I could not imagine. Yes, I still miss the “Marikina Kalayaan College”, but the new Kalayaan College opens up new opportunities for their students. I know it will continue to mold students that will do great things and be happy in their own professions, just as I am now happy in researching and writing about different issues and events.
I congratulate Kalayaan College in their 10th foundation celebration and I hope its progress continues unabated in the years to come.