Two days after giving the lecture on opinion column writing for their division schools press conference of DepEd Taytay sub-office, I got a message from a fellow former school publication editor-in-chief, Janna asking if I could also grace their school's campus journalism workshop. She's now the publication adviser of Holy Deliverance Integrated Christian School's newspaper, The Deliverer. My schedule permitted to accept another invitation, and the fact that we once belonged to the same organization back in college, it was easy for me to say yes.
The event was held last Thursday, August 28. Walking through the hallway of a school felt like stepping back in time, but it hits different now—I wasn’t there as someone in search for knowledge, but as a guest speaker. I was invited to discuss opinion column writing. Standing in front of a classroom with students who were part of the editorial board felt both surreal and meaningful as I got to teach them the basics, and provide the rules they need to remember.
Another thing that made it memorable was when I was told that this is the first time for the school and its publication to conduct a journalism workshop. So in a way, it's both an honor and privilege for both Janna and I to have "officially" trained a batch of editors and staff writers at her helm as their adviser.
Complaining has no place in my day. Even if my month was filled with preparations from one invitation to the next, with mornings spent designing lecture slides and preparing post lecture activities on our porch, it also made me realize how these engagements allowed me to experience being a teacher -- a childhood dream that I once had but never pursued. And in all honesty, it was fun. Doing the role of a resource speaker felt like teaching too because I was imparting some amount of knowledge that would help them become efficient section editors and writers.
The event also became meaningful because of our impromptu reunion. The three of us met while we were still students in the university. I was a section editor in my freshman year, while Janna was the associate editor. On the other hand, Ma'am Gracia was the student council president. We hardly had any news about one another after graduating so this get-together was one of the noteworthy highlights of the event.
This is just my third time becoming a resource speaker and sharing my knowledge with the students was a fulfilling experience. While this was a role I never thought I would be doing in my lifetime, (because I've always felt scared and uncomfortable talking in front of a lot of people) I must admit that there's a different level of fulfillment at the end of every lecture that I conduct. Despite going through some instances of uncertainty, I'd like to believe that this opportunity to train young minds is God's way of answering the prayer that I said at the beginning of the year: For Him to bring me in places where I am needed, and assign me where my skills and knowledge will be of great help.
About two weeks ago, I was invited by the DepEd Taytay sub-office to serve as a resource speaker and discuss the fundamentals of opinion column writing during their sub-office press conference held in one of the elementary schools in Taytay, Rizal.
The invitation came just days after a previous speaking engagement on campus journalism got cancelled because of the inclement weather during the last week of July. I was supposed to join The Journ Circle team in that event, but due to conflict with the schedule (as it coincides with an important family event), I had to choose between the two. And in between the event and the family gathering, I picked the latter.
The decision to let go of something I enjoyed doing was a bit hard. But I just prayed for another opportunity just so I would still be able to use the materials I have prepared beforehand. And a week later, I got an answer to that prayer.
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Another experience (and certificate) for the books!
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The experience doing this resource speaker stint the second time was a bit lighter now. Despite the short notice, and only days to prepare, I admit being able to adjust this time. I want to believe, I handled things well. But even if doing the gig was a breeze, I still prayed for something: that the participants will be able to understand my lecture, and I won't need to repeat the contest proper, and will be able to pick the winners in each category. It was one of the things I really asked for in prayer because I didn't want last year's scenario to repeat itself.
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| God knows how to deliver surprises! :-) |
Returning to my element just less than a year after I was given the chance to do it was something that I did not expect. But I guess, God realized it was for the best. It honed my skill with regards to public speaking, and I noticed how this is helping me overcome stage fright which was one of my fears and concerns for the longest time. But next to the surprise I received that day, doing this speaking engagement allowed me to do something productive. I won't deny it but I have learned to love doing these engagements -- because it gives me a sense of purpose as I strive to navigate through life and wait on where my next career mission will be.
Yes, I might be going through a career gap, but with this opportunity that I took, in the words of one of my favorite bloggers who wrote about my struggle months ago, I am not starting over. I am leveling up.
This is not a gap. This is a part of my growth.
