NARRATIVES EMPOWERING YOUNG MINDS
Meriza Mamaril BY JOSEPH B. BANAAG MANY ATENEANS see their studies as a mere stepping stone on the road to securing a stable, paying job—but for Meriza Mamaril (4 BS ME), her education is also a means to serve others and help them grow. Throughout her stay in Ateneo, the cum laude graduate juggled tutor work, organizational commitments, and academics in hopes of extending her knowledge to those who need it the most. Ultimately, Meriza felt that she had the responsibility to inspire other students—especially kids who have limited opportunities in school—to give their all to their education. Journey of service Aside from maintaining her academics, Meriza explored extracurricular activities to make the most out of her college experience. She initially participated in student organizations to have fun while building her resume. However, as she got to know her organizations’ advocacies, Meriza was inspired to take on leadership positions in hopes of serving her orgmates, nearby communities, and fellow students. Ateneo CODE’s advocacy of youth empowerment encouraged Meriza to join the organization in her freshman year. For her first engagement as a fully-fledged member, Meriza handled a leadership training seminar for public school students. Even after many projects with Ateneo CODE, it was this event that resonated with her the most. “I never received such training and support, and thus, never felt empowered in [their] position,” she says about her experience as a former public school student. Because of this, she joined the Externals Department— the arm that handles engagements with schools—and eventually became its head. Meriza believes that her
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work in CODE is her way of helping students who were in her position. Aside from her work as Ateneo CODE’s Externals Head, Meriza also took her passion for service to the Freshman Orientation Seminar (OrSem) Organizing Committee. Here, she signed on as the Tours Head before becoming one of the O-Chairs for OrSem 2019: Silay. Meriza cites her OrSem journey as an experience of immense growth, especially as a leader for others. Despite coming off a subcore position and having apprehensions about her capabilities, she realized that heading the event is one of the best forms of service she could offer. Meriza and her team would go on to dedicate months of grueling preparation, facing various setbacks like storms and cancellations, to ensure a warm welcome for the newest batch of Ateneans. Equipped with a strong advocacy and a go-getter attitude, Meriza not only enjoyed the college experience, like she originally intended, but also made a difference in the lives of others along the way. “I may have tried out orgs for the wrong reasons, [but] I can say I stayed for the right ones,” she says. Learning from teaching In addition to her already heavy workload, Meriza also secured a stable part-time job in tutoring second grade to high school students during her senior year. She says that time—which could have been spent studying, resting, or being with her friends and family—was one of the biggest sacrifices she had to make to simultaneously sustain her job and balance her academics.
In fact, there was one instance wherein she had a tutoring session merely hours before she had to take a long test. Her tutee lived quite a distance from Ateneo, and she risked being late for the long test—not to mention the fatigue she endured from the travel. However, Meriza did not let this stop her. “I didn’t want to skip the session because I already committed. I was also worried for the child as her exam week was already approaching,” she recalls. Despite the sacrifices she had to make, Meriza enjoys teaching. More than a way to earn money, she saw her tutoring gig as an opportunity to impart her learnings and to learn from her tutees as well: “I like witnessing others improve themselves and grow, and it’s even more touching knowing that I get to be part of that experience.” Finding the balance Balancing a part-time job, extracurricular activities, and academics was definitely a challenge until the very end. Along the way, she came up with a system to help her cope with the workload—compartmentalizing her hours and allocating them based on the urgency and importance of her tasks. She also learned the value of saying no to commitments she cannot handle: “Quantitatively more does not necessarily mean qualitatively deeper! Magis means choosing the more loving option.”
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However, her best weapon is her mindset. She believes that her education—and everything she does—is never just for her and her family, but for the people she aims to serve. “I realized that there’s so much more that I can do for others and that I can take part in things bigger than myself,” she says.
