Coping with Changes

“Persistence is the true meaning of scholarship, I have always believed in that. In order to succeed in life, you must be persevering.” Justine Nico Hernandez Vigonte, a proud Iskolar ng Bayan, studying Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication, has seen his career path as something that one must work hard for. He is now in his second year in the University of the Philippines Manila. Studying in UP according to Justine was not really his dream rather he wanted to be a Blue Eagle student. He aimed to study in Ateneo De Manila University, unfortunately he was not able to take the Ateneo College Entrance Test or ACET. When he graduated from UP his target job position will be as a Marketing Manager in fields such as clothing and textile, pharmaceutical and telecommunications, he aims to work at the biggest companies in the countries like Globe, Unilever Philippines and P&G. For Justine, his college life is a very different experience compared to that when he was still in high school. He had really big adjustments when it comes to coping with the different atmosphere in college. “I was culture-shocked, because people are very different and diverse.” He said that he needs to be very open to interacting with others with various characteristics in terms of socializing.

Justine was born on the 14^th of September 1994. His parents are Mr. Robert Sison- Vigonte and Mrs. Criselda Hernandez Vigonte. Justine love music very well, it feels like that it is his outlet. Whenever he is happy or not in the mood, singing will always be part of his life. His favorite singers are Celine Dion, Lady Gaga and Josh Groban. When it comes to movies, he loves Les Miserables, I am Number Four, Pitch Perfect and the Harry Potter series. On the other hand, his favorite genres of books are fantasy and about drama. He already read The Alchemist, The Perfect Insult for Every Occasion: Lady Snark’s Guide to common discourtesy, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Justine believed that watching good movies and reading hard-bound novels contributes a lot to his part as a communicator. Although he thought that he is well equipped, he faced a lot of adjustments as he told me. “I was very surprised how hard it was to study in college, I needed to be very open into interacting with others in terms of studies, I have to be more responsible.” He had done a lot of effort to cope up with the situation. His study habits include going to library and reading books, he also stays late at night to focus on his assignments and projects. When I asked him about quitting his studies, he answered that he almost thought of saying goodbye to his Alma Matter. He was really pressured in maintaining good grades and with the expectations all around him. According to Just, he learned to like his course, because he only chose it by chance. He doesn’t really know what Organizational Communication or OrCom was, but as soon as he studied the course he found that there are many opportunities in the workplace.

Justine will stick to his belief that quitting will never be a good option. In order to reach your dreams you need to strive hard. He also gives advices to his fellow students who experience the same grief he had. He will be on his third year and hopes to finish the four-year course with flying colors. All of his effort will be worth it, for this thing keeps him pursuing. He will always be inspired by his family, who were very supportive of him.