You Will Know It’s Worth It When

Signup after signup. Core after core. Event after event. How would you know if you’re already experienced enough to finally take on the next step in your Celadon journey—to become a Celadon Manager? After all those projects you’ve signed up for and events you attended, it just feels apt to give the next batch of Celadoneans the same opportunities and experiences you had, to be someone who can do just that—a Celadon leader. You may also consider that Ateneo also offers a lot of opportunities out there that you might miss out on, should you apply as a manager. So how would you know if applying for this position is worth the next one year of your college life?

You will know it’s worth it when you attend your first event as a manager—the Managers’ Formation Seminar—where you will be able to get to know your fellow managers and the Executive Board (EB) members more. This three-day seminar will also equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully fulfill your duties and responsibilities as a manager. This will mark the start of a fruitful year together in the arms of your Celadon family.

You will know it’s worth it when you fill up your first project proposal form, or see someone from your team getting his or her first sponsor, making his or her first promo or press release, as you did on your first time.

You will know it’s worth it when you find yourself constantly improving. You will find yourself doing a lot of first’s—stepping out of your comfort zone and pushing yourself to your limits because that’s what will be called for by the job. Nonetheless, it will mold you to becoming the leader that you always have the potential to be.

You will know it’s worth it when amidst all the stress and challenges that will make you want to give up, just watching everyone in your team happily chatting while committedly working together would instantly turn that sad face upside down, giving you a renewed vigor to see things through.

You will know it’s worth it when you see your project, which took months of planning and sleepless nights, finally come to fruition right in front of your eyes. You will know it’s worth it when you see you and your team’s work, which took countless brainstorming sessions to be conceptualized, finally translating into an event. You will know it’s worth it when you see all those incalculable calls turn into sponsor x-deals distributed to all of the participants in the event. You will know it’s worth it when you see the likes and shares spread for the artworks you made. You will know it’s worth it when people see your article and photos that came from much plenty of revisions.

You will know it’s worth it when even just one member of your team would, out of the blue, just thank you for everything—for all the learning and experiences they’ve gotten from being under your leadership. Nothing beats the sense of fulfillment you get from knowing that you, in your own way, have touched and taken part in someone else’s growth in both as an individual and as a leader.

You will know it’s worth it when you receive an F (or a B for us Asians) in an exam you were barely able to study for, but don’t feel even a single inch of regret because you can proudly say that that time was spent working for something worth more than the sense of accomplishment of getting an A could offer.

You will know it’s worth it when every single year from now, Facebook memory would simply remind you of the Celadon family you’ve found in the arms of the people you traveled your journey with, and you’ll just find yourself smiling—nostalgic of a challenging year that can be just summed up with a smile.

I know there are a hundred more other reasons as to how it will be worth it, as I know there are a thousand more other paths for you to take in college other than becoming a Celadon Manager. You are always free to explore and discover what you want and where you want to go. But what I can promise you is that should you choose this path to become a manager, we will make sure that you get to have one hell of a journey as a Celadon Manager.

From the Executive Vice-President of ‘16-’17: Aldwyn Tan.

Check out the other inspirational pieces from the President, Executive Vice-President, and other departments: