Five years ago, my dream is to become a historian. Taking up Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) was only my second option but God has his own way of leading me to the right path. He has his own way of telling me where I really belong. I did not pass the entrance examination of my dream university which offers my dream degree. Back then, I was really disappointed with myself but now I realized that if it never happened, I wouldn’t be here graduating in a degree that I fell in love with in a university that taught me to bleed Green and Gold. I once asked God why I did not pass in that university and four years after I got my answers.
I always see myself as a princess who left her kingdom to pursue her dreams in a far away land. I grew up in the province with my parents but I left the comfort of our home to study here in the Metro (city in Manila, Philippines). I truly believe that we have to sacrifice something in order to succeed. In my case, I sacrificed to be away from my parents while I study at Far Eastern University (FEU) and I’m telling you that I’m not used to it and it was very hard for me.
I’ve always been questioned why I took up Hotel and Restaurant Management. Out of 52 graduates in my school, I was the only one who took up HRM. A lot of my batch mates took up Engineering, Pre-law and Accountancy degree. One of my teachers in High School asked my father why I took up HRM, my father replied that it was my decision and they’re just there to always support me. My teacher answered, “Sayang siya, she’s intelligent, why not take up accountancy, medicine or law to have a title.” When my father told me that story, I became more persistent to prove that I have made the right decision in choosing to take up Hotel and Restaurant Management in FEU.
Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management is a 4-year program which teaches students about the hotel and food service industry. Guided by FEU’s core values, the degree equips students the knowledge and skills needed to excel not only through their academics, but also in their future profession or career. I know a lot of you are thinking that this degree is not as difficult as quota degrees but I would like to testify that no degree is easy and no degree is the same. As a BS-HRM student of FEU-ITHM, I am very proud and confident to say that I survived 3 research studies, my outcome-based courses and my international internship. Let us extend our deepest gratitude to our beloved Alma Mater because it had equipped us with the knowledge and skills that will make us stand out with the other graduates from other universities.
Can I ask you who’s your inspiration to finish your studies? Some of you might ask who my inspiration is, what drives me to finish my studies with Latin Honor. My answer would be my family; they are the center of my universe. Let me share to you a story. M mom gave birth to me when she was 42 years old, I am a menopausal baby and my mom almost died while giving birth to me. My parents are both Senior Citizens now, mom has diabetes and both of them have hypertension; it was my siblings who financed my studies. One of my sisters even worked in Saudi Arabia to help me finish my studies, she sacrificed to be away from us, to celebrate holidays without us and I’m truly grateful for that. So tell me, who will not be inspired to finish her studies with Latin honor with that kind of sacrifices? When I study late at night, I always think of them. I always put into mind that I can give my parents their dream retirement and that I can give back to my siblings if I study hard. I think all of us will agree to this, we all want our parents and families to be proud of us, and I know that right at this moment, they are all proud of us.
Let us take this opportunity to thank our families especially our parents for their endless support, patience and perseverance in sending us to school. To all those working students, I salute you. Our parents has been our soldiers, they defended us and helped us survive in this harsh world.
As a closing statement, I just want to share to you a quote from Alexander William Gaskarth, the vocalist of my favorite band, “There is no correct path, we have our own roads. Do not be afraid to find your own way”. Do not let anyone dictate you what you should or shouldn’t do. If you do what you believe in and you live the way you want to live, you will be the happiest person you can possibly be.
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Contributor
Marissa Tarun is a 20 year-old BS Hotel and Restaurant Management graduate of Far Eastern University-Manila. She loves reading, cooking and listening to music. She aspires to travel the world and publish her own book someday.
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