At 21, Psychology major of the
University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu learns to be independent by balancing
both his studies and his career.
Although
wearing two hats in one day can be hard, Carlo Emmanuel Cabatingan, commonly
known as Chao to his close friends, tries his best to juggle both his roles as
a student and a trainee of one of the business process outsourcing (BPO) units
in Cebu. But as an Iskolar
ng Bayan, he learns how to be resilient in life.
“Facing different types of people, confronting
social issues, working with people in authority and opposing the unjustifiable
is something that makes you feel stronger by the day,” he said.
As an individual, he describes
himself as someone who likes to mix serious and fun things. To some, he is like
an elder brother whom they can always count on, but to Chao, he is only doing what
he loves to do best – extending his help to other people. “Whatever I do in
small things define me,” he said.
As a student, Chao makes sure that
he complies with all his requirements on time. As a graduating student, he sees
to it that there is a balance between the things that he loves doing and the
things that he should prioritize. “I have to spend time on what's more
essential.”
Having been the chairperson of the
supreme student council of UP Cebu, Chao has learned how to develop the core
values of service and leadership. Chao has also gained his strength from the
people around him, most especially his fellow members of the Union of Progressive
Students (UPS), a political organization of UP Cebu.
Aside from his regular duties as a
student and a trainee for a BPO, Chao also serves as a private tutor to a
student and spends eight hours a week to help a “dreamer achieve his dreams.”
But despite being confronted with a
lot of challenges in his daily life, like having to stand on his own feet and
being independent at a very young age, he still tries to maintain a positive
outlook in life by his motto, which he quotes from Antoine de Saint Exupery,
“one sees clearly only with heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Over the years, Chao has learned to
be braver and better. He always makes sure that no matter what happens, he
keeps his feet on the ground.
Like everyone else, Chao struggles
with the different roles he play, but at the end, he wants to find true meaning
in everything he does.
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