APR 27
By: Adrian K. Loyola BS Business Administration and Accountancy (cum laude) Salutatorian, Las Piñas Campus OBMC SHS Batch 2018
At this point in my life where I have recently graduated from university and begun my professional career, I now have a better understanding of the Latin maxim our beloved Alma Mater holds dear—"Seipsum Facit Persona" (Man Makes Himself).
While we cherish the accomplishments we obtain, life is a journey of struggles and victories. Our motto reminds us that we always set the course of our lives. This dictum is expressed by William Ernest Henley in his poem “Invictus” that we are masters of our fates and captains of our souls.
The BS Business Administration and Accountancy program of the University of the Philippines Diliman let me experienced the rigor required so we can fully embody what the country needs from us: “Honor and Excellence.” Enduring the whole-day accounting exams on Sundays was just one part of the equation. Serving the college as an elected student council official, leading teams and projects as a student organization member, and rendering meaningful work as a student-intern—all the while living independently and away from home—provide a fuller picture of my college life.
Overcoming these challenges bore fruit. I graduated cum laude from the degree program I had dreamed of since I was in ninth grade. I received a job offer from my dream company a year before I even graduated.
Now in my very first job after college, I work as a finance and accounting manager at one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, handling the accounting of countries across the globe and continuing the goal of “touching lives, improving life.”
My family taught me that education is the greatest investment one could ever make. I have seen how my parents endeavored to give my sister and I the quality education needed for our future. I will always be grateful for this gift. Certainly, without "Seipsum Facit Persona", I wouldn’t be where I am now. Without the help of O.B. Montessori Center (OBMC), I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
I fondly recall my time from Casa to being in the pioneer batch of Senior High School (SHS). I was once that child who was subconsciously learning as I interacted with the Montessori prepared environment. I was also once that pupil who was being encouraged to share his talents on stage. My formative years in school were exceptionally well rounded, because these experiences allowed me to transition smoothly to SHS, which arguably remains my fondest of recollections.
In SHS we were considered as individuals capable of forming our own opinions and making our own decisions. We were not taught what to think, but we were taught how to think.
We were exposed to our career interests and allowed me to participate in competitions in and outside of school, which led to gold medals in campus journalism, business, and debate competitions. These opportunities gave me a clearer picture of what I wanted to pursue in college and for my career.
Most importantly, we were taught how to value not just ourselves but other people as well. At OBMC, we built trust and respect among ourselves through working as groups, hurdling difficulties together, and achieving successes as a whole. It was during these times where we forged bonds to last a lifetime. SHS taught us love—love for others, love for our work, and love for ourselves. This love pervades everything I am and everything I do to this day.
As I write this to celebrate the triumph of "Seipsum Facit Persona", please allow me to celebrate the successes of our O.B. Montessori Center family and to express the love and admiration I have for my classmates and the people of OBMC who have been part of our journey. Behind these successes is the love and support the school, the teachers, the administrators, and the staff have shown to us all these years, even after we have graduated. This love allowed us to be the captains of our own fates and the masters of our own souls. Man makes himself, and it is thanks to you, our O.B. Montessori Center.
