Story By Ester Ballesteros, Grade 11 (S.Y. 2019-2020)
Photos By Ma. Nita V. Bolo, CST-R SMO
Just trust the process. It is not about the experience, it is all about the hardwork. This is the story of a senior high school transferee in CST-R. School year 2019-2020 was a roller coaster but I learned so much.
After completing junior high school, I asked myself what would happen to me in the new chapter of my life—senior high school. On my first day in this new environment of new faces, our adviser told the class to introduce ourselves. My nerves overflowed thinking that my new classmates would not like me because perhaps their first impression of me was not so positive. After all, adjustment for a transferee is never easy. Fortunately, I wasn’t totally alone for some of my classmates from elementary school were also enrolled in CST-R. Though they already have their own barkada and I didn’t even know if I could fit in, they still allowed friendship to re-grow between us.
A month into school, we were grouped for the student film festival in E-Tech class. Being an introvert, I never approached my classmates to present myself as the director of the music video we were tasked to make. Instead, it was our teacher who assigned me the task. I said yes knowing that I have the skills needed to be a student-director but I cried buckets when I went home knowing also that I did not even have a group to start with.
Then I decided to reach out to my classmates.
“Hi, guys! Good evening! Pwede [ba] ko ninyo tabangan nga makakita og grupo? Maulaw man god ko. Kabalo kong transferee ra ko. But I will do my very best to prove that I deserve to be a director.”
One of my classmates replied and helped form our group. The meetings began. The ideas and suggestion came pouring in and we started making a music video that had a huge impact on us as much as on our viewers. Of course, we encountered problems but we also found the proper solutions.
Finally, the film fest took place. During the announcement of winners, I told myself not to expect anything. Then the emcee called out the “Best Director.”
“Ms. Ester Ballesteros!” He announced.
I was speechless.
I was literally frozen and didn’t know whether to go up the stage and receive the award or just remain numb. But my group told me that I deserved the award for working hard as a director despite the lack of experience. Waking up from the stupefaction, I went and received the award.
Our music video titled “Walk as One” also won Best in Screenplay and was adjudged the Best Music Video for the film fest 2019.
Days passed and slowly I eased out of my comfort zone, out of the shell that made any transferee have self-doubt. I made new friends with whom I laughed and shared secrets and crushes. With them I attended Holy Masses at the school chapel, played sports at the covered court and ate meals at the canteen.
There were down times and stress because of some projects, exams and assignments that kept coming almost daily. I would’ve given up but I focused on motivating myself. My friends were always there for me and sometimes, I would cry my frustrations out to them. They gave the support I needed.
In August, we were again grouped for our Oral Communication in Context presentation at the Cultural Hall. The experience I had during the baby steps of the music video replayed. I became the leader of the group that presented the balak “Ka Idlas” by Gil Nambatac, a poet from Iligan City. Out of about 20 competing groups, we won the championship.
In September, more activities allowed me to participate. In November, the “Director’s List” was announced. I was on that list. Though I did not expect it, I knew I deserved to receive the award.
In February, I received an invitation like no other.
“Ester, why don’t you run for grade 12 representative?”
Honestly, I had dreamed of joining activities like that one to help boost my confidence. I said yes despite knowing that I’d be pitched against my friend, Stanley. Of course, I also knew that he had the experience and the following of Thomasians he had been with since junior high school. But, I still did my best for the people who believed in me, at least.
Facing a lot of people was, in fact, my greatest fear and I gave the student elections a try not for fame but for me to gain experience, some more friends and for students who had the same confidence issues as I did.
The elections happened and the results came out. I cried upon learning that I lost—it’s a default reaction, I guess. I congratulated and hugged Stanley. He deserved that win and he had the leadership skills to represent our batch next school year. Though I lost, I took it as an opportunity to grow and to improve.
Never did I expect to reach this far. My debut year as a Thomasian was a full circle of activities and achievements, of disappointments and growth, of tears and lessons learned, of new friendships and self-confidence built.
However, friendship is the best achievement I have had in the school year that closed prematurely because of this corona virus pandemic. My friends made my life meaningful. Our cumulative experiences helped us to embody the true Thomasian. These experiences shaped the new me, the new and better Ester, a friend, an achiever, a Thomasian.
