MaScian: That's Who I Am
I?m a MaScian because I?m destined to be one. Education for me was having good grades. That was all that mattered to me. It never occurred to me that my vision of a good education was about to change. St. Paul School Makati didn?t offer secondary education then, so I had no choice but to find another school. Manila Science was the first and the last on my list of prospective high Schools. To pass the screenings and the interview was actually a do-or-die situation. I never submitted another application form other than the one for MaSci. I had one goal and that was to study and to graduate at one of, if not the only best high school in the country, Manila Science High School. The first time I entered the gates of MaSci, I felt like a nobody. The rusty gates of Masci didn?t show any sign of welcome. The students waiting outside knew each other and I felt alone. Drowning in the midst of nowhere, I was thinking that the students in front of me have brains bigger than their bodies. The bordner building didn?t look as if it was conducive for learning. The Main building didn?t look any better. The only structure contradicting the dreading atmosphere was the partly finished Maceda Building. I was a lass wearing the mascian dress code but void of the Mascian spirit. I was a no one with potentials waiting to be honed. A new girl in a brand new world. I breathed the promise that one day, I would be worthy of being called a Mascian. I had to start from scratch and it was as if all my previous achievements were scrapped. My future was unclear but promising. I remember that I have always wanted to excel but didn?t have enough determination. Blame the young school girl in me for that. I was testing the waters for everything was quite new to me. Then again the challenge was for me, for us (batch 05). I didn?t know if I?ll survive but doing fine in school gave me the confidence that I terribly needed. It was a matter of getting drowned in the pool of excellence or being able to accept all the challenges and reaching the zenith of excellence and success. It was not necessarily a matter of brains but of discipline, hard work and determination. MaSci has proven long ago that its worthy of its identity of excellence, and now its time for me to prove myself worthy of being a Mascian. For the past three years, I have been holding on to the thought that I may have not given my best but I?m doing good enough (which is the worst mistake I ever did). Indeed, I have done all that was asked and had grades above the passing mark but it seemed that we, the students can?t fulfill the expectations of our alma matter. Honestly, there was times when we faltered and we contributed to the wavering of the tradition of excellence but I firmly believe that in our own ways we had also raised the banner of mascians up high. Though it may seem that the tradition of excellence is nothing for us, I know that deep inside of our hearts we have always been caught up with being able to live the ideals of a blue-blooded Mascian. We know what is expected of us but we sometimes fail to meet them not because we lack the talent but because we lack determination. But that doesn?t mean that we aren?t exerting efforts. As I am slowly counting my last days in Masci, I want to correct all the errors I committed in the past and learn the things I ought to know. I want to feel for the last time the pleasure and the pain of being a MaScian. I will continue to do my best and what was asked of me not only because I needed to but also because I wanted to. Being a Mascian is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you?re given the best education but at the same time a curse because much is expected of you. But you know what? It turned out to be more of a blessing than of a curse. I belive that like flowers slowly blooming, we, my batchmates and I, on the time that we?re going to march on the red carpet, on the day when we?re going to reap all the fruits of our 4-year stay at Masci,will be accomplished individuals with honed potentials and the strong will to succeed. I believe that when the time will come for us to undress the Mascian dress code , we wouldn?t be devoid of the Mascian spirit and will find ourselves struggling to reach the farthest stars. And as we journey through this so called life and get out to the ?real? world we will prove ourselves MaScians by blood and by virtue. About the Author: The author is now cherishing her few remaining months in high school. Source: www.isnare.com |