BALIUAG UNIVERSITY brought out the BEST in ME...
By: Billy Joe Francisco, Bachelor of Arts in Communication IV
Building excellence in me
From the very first time I stepped in Baliuag University (BU), I knew this 86 year- old academic institution will open lots of doors for me – doors offering me great things and excellent opportunities that will bring out the best in me. Indeed, Baliuag University has truly brought out the best in me.
It was my dream before to study in well-known universities in Manila. Nevertheless, I ended up enrolling here at BU. Regrets were aplenty during my first month in school, but all things went well from then on. I remember sitting at the back of the class during discussions because of my inferiority complex. However, my classmates and my professors had boosted my self-confidence which enabled me to socialize with people.
During my first two years in school, most of my subjects were minor subjects – minor subjects which proved to be as tough as my major subjects. Fortunately, my subject professors have made their teaching strategies fascinating and have taught us the best way they could so as to bring out the excellence in us.
Most of the days in a week, I was in school – if not for my regular classes, then it was for my extracurricular activities such as attending seminars, lecture-fora and workshops, and joining community outreach activities. I have proven that a student does not learn only within the four walls of the classroom but may also acquire knowledge outside the school.
When I was not busy with school activities, I paid a visit to the library – reading newspapers and reference materials that our university library has a lot of. I used to watch movies and other educational presentations at the multimedia kiosk during my spare time. A free internet service on the third floor of the Library building was a hit for me, since most of the time I was required to do researches for my subjects.
I have always been inspired to attend classes because of the good things Baliuag University has for its students – highly-qualified professors, friendly office staffs and other school personnel, excellent school facilities, and great learning experiences.
Going beyond my course
As a student of Communication Arts, we were taught different communication theories, public relations and advertising strategies, and media principles to name a few of the subject matters a Communication Arts student must master. We were exposed to different fields of mass communication and studio visits to prepare us to become an excellent media practitioners.
I spent my internship with two of the Philippine’s respected media organizations – The Philippine Star and TV5. What I have learned in school were all got laid down on the real field of mass communication.
When I was at the Philippine Star, I was assigned to the Defense Press Corps of the Department of National Defense in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. Every single day was a challenge for me as I wrote at least two articles that sharpened my journalistic skills, but I found the stint very enjoyable and fun. If you genuinely like what you are doing, you won’t find it very difficult to do – that was what I learned from the Philippine Star experience.
As for my TV5 internship, I was assigned to the post-production area. My TV5 family welcomed me arms wide open. I readily felt at home while working with them. I learned a lot from my internship supervisors about pre-production, production/taping, and post-production courses.
To be in school and then on the course’s ground were absolutely a good learning experience for me. I have enormously enjoyed my four years of being a Communication Arts student at Baliuag University. I can say I am globally competitive now to face life’s challenges for me and I am all set now to have my great future that the Lord has in store for me.
My international journeys
Equipped with the confidence and strength of mind to be globally competitive, I participated in various student exchange programs.
In May 2009, I became a student ambassador representing the country to the “Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS),” a 10-day visit to Tokyo and Nagasaki, Japan.
The program aims to deepen mutual understanding among young people who will assume important roles in the next generation in their respective countries and to establish a basis for Asia’s strong solidarity by expanding youth exchange programs.
Among the activities we had were lectures and seminars about Japan and Japanese cultures, trips to different historical places, home stay with a Japanese family, trips with Japanese high school and university students, cultural presentations, and workshops for program reports.
Aside from our academic activities, I definitely enjoyed our daily meals, especially those that were held in different Kaiten-zushi restaurants and visits to the Imperial Palace, Edo-Tokyo Museum, and Sensoji Temple among others. In Nagasaki, we visited Isahaya City, Glover Garden, Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and Peace Memorial Park, and Nagasaki Wesleyan University to name a few.
The everyday interactions with diverse Japanese people while exchanging different cultural notes and life stories also made my stay in Japan very interesting. I shared with them the best things about being a Filipino, as I am a proud to be one. In return, my Japanese hosts showed me their best practices, like the Cha-no-yu or the traditional tea ceremony which they have preserved in spite of all the technological advancements they have made.
In June 2010, I was one of the seven young Filipino student leaders who participated in the “Study of the United States Summer Institute on New Media for Student Leaders 2010 (SUSI)” – a five-week program in Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois and Washington D.C., United States of America.
The program’s objective is to provide groups of undergraduate student leaders like us with a deeper understanding of the United States, particularly about politics, economics, and new media, while simultaneously enhancing our leadership skills.
Our activities included a series of seminar discussions, readings, group presentations, and lectures. Educational trips to other parts of the United States, local site visits, and volunteer opportunities complemented the course work and our classroom activities. My favorite parts of the program were the Fourth of July celebration, visits to different media companies, and home stay with the Wagner family in Chester, Illinois.
We witnessed how Americans celebrate their independence day during the Fourth of July commemoration in Kaskaskia Island in Randolph County. I saw and felt their patriotism and their love for their country. Incidentally, I also celebrated my 20th birthday while we were in Chicago, making it the best birthday I ever had.
Though our daily schedules were jampacked with academic sessions, we were still given time to relax and to cope with the busy days in school. Some of the extracurricular activities we had were the picnic and swimming at the Lake beach, watching a baseball game and fireworks display, cookout at our program coordinator’s residence where we enjoyed great country band music, sunset concerts at the campus, a day at Six Flags amusement park, and the tour to different parts of Illinois and Washington, D.C.
The experiences I had taught me to become thrifty (as we were given our budget allowances); to treat people equally; to place a high value on education; and to love your motherland, yourself, and your countrymen. With different participants from North Africa, Southeast Asia, and Middle East, I have come to find new friends with my SUSI co-participants and to have a strong camaraderie with them.
Last notes
I will be forever grateful for these good experiences. Those experiences made me realize how much I wanted to serve the country, to be a catalyst of change, and to help other Filipinos as well. I still believe that this country can still go a long way with a strong government and with the support of its people.
After my four years stay at Baliuag University, I can say this institution had molded me into who I have become now – it has truly brought out the best in me. I never thought my college life could be equally challenging and exciting.
Fellow students, just go on with your lives, overcome your fears, follow your dreams, and make the best out of what life has in store for you.
“I greatly believe in my dreams. I greatly believe in YOU.”
