My third reflection on following the signposts would lead me to reflect on whether I left an occupation that I did not previously recognize to be a fantasy in order to complete graduate studies. This realization was triggered by a picture that I drew eight years ago about what I thought would be a preferred work environment. I would recognize that the picture closely resembled my home for three years whilst working overseas. I concluded the employment about a year ago to return to the Philippines and finish graduate school.
This is my fourth reflection and is an attempt to answer the above question. It relates to our fourth session in ethics that discussed coming-up with a 25-year life plan which integrates both life and career goals and required creating a personal mission and vision statement as an initial step. This will direct me to look back and find out what motivated me to draft my application for admission to the MBA program at De La Salle University. Among the admission requirements was to write an essay that looked forward five years into the future, my reasons for taking up the program, my future contribution to the society, my competitive edge for admission, and my area of research. I decided to find the essay to get back to the basics – my reason for wanting an MBA.
I found my application essay in a bunch of old files tucked in a sturdy expandable folder. I was admitted to the program during the last quarter of 2011 after passing the admission exams and completing the other requirements, essay included. I have returned last year to be re-admitted before the prescriptive period of eight years expires.
As I have written in the essay, I saw myself as an accounting professor at my hometown’s government university and at a private university nearby. My goal to teach sparked off the need to take up MBA through DLSU. I believed that a well-grounded education and rich working experience is external elements necessary for an effective educator. These, together with the many inherent attributes of a good teacher are what my students deserve. I would go back to this purpose when circumstances make me recall what I gave up to achieve this goal.
To set a positive influence and be a constant inspiration to my students, especially to my fellow Ifugaos is the contribution that I want to give to society. Several opportunities to train at work, especially to foreign counterparts, made me realize my love for teaching. I have found the training days grueling; however, generously sharing the business and technical aspects of my work through animated teaching techniques gave utmost fulfillment. Friendships were established along the way, appreciation and respect gained, and the successful application of knowledge taught was an incomparable reward. Recalling St. La Salle’s example, I believe this might be my life’s purpose and I pray that I be steered to it in God’s will and time.
As I work at completing the program, I meet and connect with colleagues who come from different industry backgrounds and perform roles diverse from my own. During these interactions, I aim to continuously bring value by displaying intellectual ability, leadership, adaptability, and emotional maturity honed through work experience. It is sharing with each other and learning together that enhance and strengthen these qualities, and make the journey exciting.
As an area of research in my admission essay, I wrote that I will look at the sustainable development contributions of private businesses and how it is encouraged by the government. Back in college, one of my accounting professors mentioned that the government could collaborate with private entities to have roads built, housing provided, and infrastructure improved. I recognize that currently, the government is more actively working in a give-and-take partnership with private businesses to perform these projects. I think that awareness to sustainable development has grown stronger since writing my essay and the way we work and do things has been made transparent in social media. I believe that this venue helped exposed incorrect practices and admirable actions alike, made us more watchful of each other, encouraged transparency, and promoted being effective at doing our functions, especially those that impact others. As I look forward to delivering a worthwhile research project for the company that I work with, I will remember to go back to the basics of wanting to do things right and guided by the right reasons. I believe that doing things right is essential to doing things better. I feel that this is made more evident today and will continue to be encouraged into the future.
