Outside the Four Corners of the Room

When I was a kid, I used to play on my own. Wearing my “pambahay” and my mom’s office shoes, I pretended that I was a teacher. The thing is my students were non-existent. My dad even bought flashcards and a white board for me so that I can use it during play time.

Back when I was in high school, our school required every student to join a club for extra-curricular activities. There were so many clubs to join to, but the Young Mentor’s Club (YMC) caught my interest and attention because it was like a cue for me to fulfill my dream as a teacher. As a freshman student, I did not have any friends to join me in the club, because we had different interests. And so I braved all alone to join YMC with no idea to whom and where I will teach. Luckily, I became a mentor by the age of 13. It was like a recreation of my childhood days, but this time I knew for sure that I have students and I felt really excited about it. Every week, we were asked to make activity sheets for grades 3-6 about basic Math, English and Science. Any member of YMC can volunteer to teach kids at Santissima Trinidad (just along Singalong/Estrada, Malate Manila) every Saturday afternoon, and so I grabbed the opportunity to do so.

In sophomore year, recruitment week came again and with no second thoughts, I joined YMC again, but this time I encouraged my friends to join me and so they agreed. It was even more fun, because not only was I fulfilled teaching kids but the fact that my friends and I are enjoying too made it more exciting. Every Saturday was booked for “date with the kids + barkada”. Unfortunately, I transferred school in my Junior year, and I thought that it would stop there.

Graduation 2012 came, and I thought of becoming an educator in College. But then I told myself that I was once a mentor, and I can still continue being one, even if it is not by profession.

In college, everyone attended NSTP. And yup I can say that they did, just because it was a requirement and every student had to pass it. But for me it was different, it was a chance for me to help and continue my voluntary work. This time I got involved in environmental works, where in we had our coastal clean-up and tree planting activities which I enjoyed very much. We even had our immersion at Mexico, Pampanga wherein we lived with the families that adopted us and helped them with their chores at home. 

Everything we did was a learning experience, because it taught me how to be socially responsible. In our institution, it does not stop with NSTP. We also had Lay Apostolate, a program similar to NSTP, but this time we have adopted communities to visit from time to time. Everything felt nostalgic to my YMC days because I will be able to teach and share what I know to the disadvantaged children again. I got sad when Lay Apostolate ended because it meant leaving my students whom I got too attached with.

With my experience, I can say that volunteering is an opportunity to meet new people and learn outside the 4 corners of the room. I am very hopeful that anyone can make a difference as long as the heart and mind is willing to do so. For now, I consider myself as a work in progress.

Contributed by: Angela Harder, a 3rd Year Mass Communication student from St. Scholastica's College- Manila