AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SOMEONE LIKE YOU
20 Years of Sociological Imagination
That which resembles most living one's life over again, seems to be to recall all the circumstances of it; and, to render this remembrance more durable, to record them in writing.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
This is a story of a young boy who started out with but an imagination, strived to pursue big dreams, and developed into a young man whose quest continues for greater goals in life. This is a boy who is unique just like everybody else, and his story is one you may always hear but maybe find something new.
My full name is Ryan Glenn Monares Soguilon. I was born from both Filipino parents in the Philippines, particularly the tuna capital General Santos City, making me a true Filipino. I was born in the late 1980’s, back when life was much simpler. It marked the start of the home computer revolution although PC’s were not as accessible. 1988 was a year when elections in the Philippines were traditional yet less fraudulent. The Philippines also competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Korea and actually won a bronze from Men’s Boxing.
I was born on December 18th, which was a Sunday. I always remember that this particular day is exactly one week from Christmas and two weeks from New Year. It is interesting to know as well that December 18 gave birth to notable celebrities such as American actor Brad Pitt (1963), actress Katie Holmes (1978), and singer Christina Aguilera (1980). Beyond entertainment, history brought Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin (1878), and Graciano Lopez Jaena (1851), a Filipino orator and satirist. One can just simply enjoy life’s coincidences even on the most typical of things.
This was the start of my parents creating a family. Having married on the same year, they started building a home while I was still a baby. I barely could remember any detail while I was still a kid, but my parents told me that I fell down the stairs while I was a baby and angels saved me that’s why I lived. We moved to Davao City where I spent most of childhood years. It was a much highly-developed city, which was cited to be one of the Top 10 Asian cities of the future 2007/08. The climate, economy, and people seem to blend perfectly well in the city. This was where I grew up, and my younger siblings were born.
My parents enrolled me in Ateneo de Davao University where I studied in my elementary years. It has the notably best education in the city and maintains a strong tradition of academic excellence with the premier facilities and faculty. I have learned reading and writing, the arts and sciences, English and math. The school also taught me to be a good Catholic, and we follow the Jesuit philosophy of "men and women for others." Ateneo’s motto Fortes in Fide means Strong in Faith. I followed religious practices like Communion and Confirmation rites which I found acceptable as my parents also taught me that at home. I was in the Honors Class because of my consistent high remarks and graduated with high honors. I was not really aware of my personal achievements and little milestones back then. Without much effort, I funnily found myself very smart and likable when I was a young boy.
I qualified in Philippine Science High School, becoming a scholar after passing the two competitive examinations. The preparations and fun time with my Ateneo classmates in the review sessions paid off. We were then dubbed as the cream of the crop. While my stay, I have helped my parents by not having them to pay tuition fees and I also received fair monthly allowances. This and the bragging right of having their son in a science high school. I got to watch the awarded movie “Pisay” recently, I couldn’t help but relate to the characters and the light-hearted story as it captured the core experiences of the kind of high school life we had. It featured different brilliant students brought together in a school that taught
One of the biggest steps I’ve taken was entering college. After high school, I’ve started to make major decisions in my life such as choosing my school and my course to pursue. Not many people get to be firm. I was well-decided of Architecture for a various reasons. Besides enjoying the drafting classes I had, taking an internship in government institution like the Department of Public Works and Highways. I also want to depart to the common aspiration of students to be engineers and scientists; I wanted to stand out even through my course.
Being a freshman was the start of major transitions in my life. It was where I began to understand the world better. No longer am I confined in the peaceful Davao environment doing the typical routines. Independence from my family forced me to support myself in all aspects. I learned how to make big and small decisions by myself and lived with new people and a new community. Being in UP was more than just learning academics, it was a social education. It was a quiet awakening of the consciousness towards the self and society.
The biggest decision I’ve taken ever since was shifting to a course that would better suit me. I departed from my previous notions of becoming a successful architect someday knowing that it may somehow not be what I envisioned my future to be. It became a fork in the road that choosing a new career was a deliberate choice. But it is not without great mental and emotional difficulty. I was faced with a series of uncertainties, choosing between economics, social sciences, business and public administration. Whether it was destiny or a product of choice, I was admitted to the College of Business Administration in which I would eventually finish my university degree.
It was an achieved dream I was highly grateful of as this paved the foundation of more concrete goals to pursue. Studying business is an esteemed discipline which plays an important role in the country’s dynamics and is something that I aspire to be doing. It was then that I acquired and honed my knowledge in accounting, statistics, economics, and largely in management. It was a struggle at first, in which a new environment has welcomed me with new individuals and culture. To some extent, it enhanced my relational dealings with people and become more open to new friends and new ideas.
UP Diliman offers more than 250 student organizations to promote a more well-rounded development of students apart from their studies. The Office of Student Activities of the university classifies the organizations into 11 clusters: Academic, Alliance, Cause-oriented, Community Service, Dormitory Association, Fraternity, Regional/Provincial, Religious, Sorority, Special Interest, and Sports and Recreation. Beyond academics, I have played an active part in participating and leading in such groups. Being in the college enabled me to join several groups that may be academic or socio-civic in nature. Through these new circles, I have established new set of friends who I share experiences with. Apart from that, it exercised my leadership skills in a team. Since high school, I have been a Class President, Auditor, Representative to the Student Government, and Business Manager. Being a leader was not a new idea for me. For the scope of 5 years of stay here in the university, I have participated to at least 5 organizations. Among these, I acquired leadership positions in UP Iso Dabaw, Molave Residence Hall, Circle of Entrepreneurs (UP CE), and UP Association of Business Administration Majors (UP ABAM). I also did volunteer work in the University Student Council as a volcorp.
The most memorable events of college life come from extra-curricular activities as well. UP Iso Dabaw is a regional organization for students coming from the different Davao provinces and which was my first organization and arguably the most significant one. It cradled me through my freshman year and established friends from the same region. The UP Circle of Entrepreneurs is a BA-based socio-civic organization promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship among students university-wide. This was where I had a whole range of experiences, from handling human resources, publications, publicity, and major financial projects, as well as having a company of diverse yet committed members. Also, staying in campus dormitories largely contributed to the development of my well-being. I stayed in Kalayaan Residence Hall as a freshman, Molave Residence Hall as a sophomore, and Yakal Residence Hall as a senior. I resided in a boarding house in campus as well for a year as a junior.
Who I am in today is a product of experiences and life choices. I feel accomplished and satisfied with my small and personal triumphs, yet I am still compelled to push myself harder to bigger and greater challenges. 20 years marked a life of determination and resilience and yet marks a beginning to a path for success.
Graduation marks another milestone in my life. What the outlook in the future may still be uncertain, but preparations could help me put a direction to it. In essence, I intend to apply the things that I have learned in my college and the experiences that I have acquired throughout my schoolyears in the real world where I would face tougher problems, make harder decisions, and choose more challenging paths. However, it is with a doubt that unrelenting persistence and determination can get me through.
Hence the story of the young boy does not end here yet. His quest continues to reach his bigger dreams and greater goals in life. This ordinary boy may seem just like everybody else, but only time will tell and maybe you will get to find something new about him.
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