SLP Laudes: Sige Lang, Push
6:00 PM
Always the smallest family, never the quietest. The Speech Language Pathology department produced an amazing number of honor graduates, 17 SLPs, for Batch 2017. Like all other degree programs, the road was not a bed of roses for this group. Amplified had the chance to talk to a few of our honor graduates and ask how they were able to hurdle over the obstacles with flying colors.
5
years is a pretty long time but what made the SLP life worthwhile, according to
our graduates, were the people they brushed elbows with in this journey,
especially the clients who they had the privilege to work with. Eya Uy said she
took note of all the names of her clients and their families from the first one
she was assigned to, to the last one she was able to provide services to.
Knowing that at the end of the grueling yet strangely satisfying 5 years; you
can make someone and their family proud by helping them find their voice was
what got Ads Dela Cruz going. As for Ida Dy, the idea of finishing with your
batchmates, making your parents proud and looking forward to serving the
community made it all worth it. Other than the people who surrounded our
graduates with love, support and wisdom, one thing that made the long 5 years
worth it all was the passion and the heart for the profession.
For Nana Uy, the
SLP life was like running the longest marathon. Before it begins, the anxiety
kicks in and when the pistol blows, you just have to keep going. No one is ever
alone in a marathon, there will be people running with you and for her, it was
her block and the faculty who pushed her to reach her full potential. There
will be the people cheering you on in the stands who came in the form of her
family and friends.
One said it was
like an airplane ride where you come prepared with good hopes and excitement
for the trip. Once the plane takes off, you will feel turbulence and that will
come as the challenges and trials we have to strive to overcome and before we
know it, the plane lands on our destination and opens the door for a whole new
adventure.
But of all the
metaphors, Pamela Ang Ngo Ching’s was the favorite. “Living the UST-SLP life is like being an egg. Oo, itlog. You once
start off as a mere egg trying hard to balance yourself so as not to fall and
break. Fragile, simple, unassuming. But after withstanding various
circumstances of being continuously cracked, beaten, boiled, flipped, and
fried, you actually turn out to be a wonderfully adaptable thing,”
Most
of our graduates agreed that one of the toughest parts of their journey was
internship and the semester before that. It was like skydiving, where you get
briefed and then get pepped up in the plane by a trainer and then with just one
push off the plane, you are on your own and you have to work everything out for
a safe landing. They all also agreed to the reality that it was a series of
breakdowns and countless of brinks of giving up but then they found their
anchor and managed to stay still and graduate. Mahirap pero kinaya. Pwedeng umiyak, wag lang susuko.
They
said there’s no secret to the best undergrad life. Balance is a skill to master
when it comes to our choices. We must strike the perfect balance between work
and rest. The life we have chosen to live is one that demands time, effort and
patience and one cannot perform well when one’s tired and unwell. As we help
others to live the best life they can have, we must never forget to take care
of ourselves first. Be principled, but also kind. Choose to be with the right
people and have the right attitude towards matters at hand. Lastly, college is
the best time to discover more about yourself. It is when you find what works
best for you and use that as a strength to conquer the battles ahead. After
all, the battle is half won when you are certain with your goal.
We asked them for guiding words
and wisdom for the lower batches and aspiring SLPs and they all gave out
amazing words to live by. There are three things to have in order to finish
anything; that is, the discipline to work, the heart to serve, and the
knowledge, not just scholastically but the idea that people are there for you.
Take everything day by day and not let fear eat up the best of you. It helps to
put yourself in the shoes of others. Put yourself in the position of our
professors who have separate lives too apart from preparing us for the real
world. Think of the clients who, that due to the lack of SLPs in the country,
travel far and wide to receive services. The passion and the willingness to
learn and help people is one of the best reminders there is. All of our
interviewees had one nugget of advice in common, that is to always remember
your why. Why you chose the program and why you chose to stay in it.
Most
of us might be clouded with anxieties and fears of what the program has to
offer that we find ourselves less motivated to finish and work hard for it. At
the end of the day, the best person to run to is yourself. These honor graduates
can give us practical advice and inspiring stories but only we have the power
to do what it takes to have that CSP-PASP one day. We are always the smallest
family but never the quietest because each of us has a loud voice within that
compels others to learn how to speak for themselves. SLP does not only stand for
Speech Language Pathology, it is also an acronym of a reminder for all of us to
keep going – Sige Lang, Push. - by Jeanne Bilasano
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