After Alex finished his studies and graduated in Marcela Marcelo Elementary School, he was so happy and joyful to hear and receive the news that he passed the internship at Rogationist College-Saint Anthony’s Boys Village (RC-SABV). He took his secondary education at the SABV, Silang, Cavite. It is a school run by Rogationist priests and religious that caters to poor boys coming from the outskirts of Cavite and Metro Manila. Alex’s high school years in RC-SABV were filled with ups and downs. As regard with his academic performances during his high school years, he really did the best that he could in his studies in order to boost his personality in front of those who bully him.
Though he is just an average person, he is the type of cute person (hahaha) who has the interest and passion to learn and to strive with diligence and hard work in his studies. He learned a lot of things in RC-SABV, most especially, discipline, friendship, dedication to work and studies, etc. However, he also experienced a lot of trials and difficulties during his high school days.
The worst experience that he experienced in RC-SABV was the competition in academic performances. At the start of our cute protagonist’s high school years, he was engaged in the battle called “academic excellence through competition”. All of a sudden, he became so obsessed with his grades which caused him a lot of problems and troubles with himself. Being obsessed with grades, it was difficult for him to determine the necessary things that were very helpful for his growth. Because of being a grade-oriented or a result-oriented person, Alex’s good companionship with his co-interns resulted with petty misunderstandings and competition. He also became a recognition-seeker. Too much engrossed in his studies caused him a lot of troubles in having a balance relationship with others especially with the opposite sex. Because of this, he was not able to experienced having girlfriend during his high school years (Oh my goodness! Do I hear it right? Why such a cute person like Alex does not able to experienced having girlfriend during his high school years? Ouch!). It is one of his unfulfilled desires which he considers a very important thing for his growth and maturity. He tried his best to court, but he was always being friend zoned (tune: Kaibigan lang pala, kaibigan lang pala….). In Alex’s four years at RC-SABV he tried his very best to express his love through courtship. He failed many times in courtship, but he never surrender. Unfortunately, the more he never surrenders in courtship the more he is being rejected and humiliated. It was really a painful experience for him, which made him think that he was not being appreciated, accepted and loved by the people around him. He became pessimistic about courtship and he considered it as a cursed and a great pain during his high school years.
He is not good in sports when he was an intern (Maybe, our cute protagonist knows how to play jack-stones and Chinese garters hehehehe ). His co-interns were fond of making fun of him when he is playing basketball, volleyball or soccer. They didn’t teach him how to play the sports; instead they kept on bullying, humiliating and making fun of him whenever he plays basketball, volleyball and soccer. He learned to play the sports in a hard way.
Then, God comes to the rescue. When God entered into his life, he became sincere and dependent on Him amidst embarrassment, miserable experiences, pain, trials and difficulties during his internship and high school years at RC-SABV. He realized that there is always a room for conversion and improvement, so he strived hard to change his attitude with the help of the priests and educators at RC-SABV. He became more diligent and active in prayer. Prayer became his tool and inspiration as he grew in age and maturity at RC-SABV. Because of this, his life has changed. Prayer also helped him to know God and to trust in Him. St. Anthony of Padua became his significant Saint during his internship and high school years. Because of St. Anthony, he learned a lot of good things at RC-SABV and through this Saint he also learned that God is so gracious even to those who are being rejected, humiliated, bullied, and not being appreciated.
The level of his human, emotional and affective maturity at the end of his high school was on an average level. Because of the very strict discipline at RC-SABV, he ended up in fear with the authority and with committing mistakes. He wasn’t able to develop his hidden talents and skills for four years of stay at RC-SABV. He wasted a lot of time and opportunity which would have been a good occasion for him to develop his hidden talents and skills.
He had few friends when he was an intern because he felt humiliated when he was with the externs. He wasn’t able to be true to himself because he was afraid to open up to the externs and with the other interns. Only a few of the other interns fully understood who he was. He ended up pessimistic and introvert at the end of his high school years.
But, suddenly, Alex’s dark moments turns to light. And, that light marks the beginning of the transformation of Alex’s life. (To be continued)
Insights from a WIMPY millenial 