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Now, as a 17 year old who has experienced quite some stuff, I can say that the formation I had in kindergarten, grade school, junior high school, and now in senior high school has made me stronger for the future. My realizations during the pandemic really made me stronger with my relationships with others, to my family, before the pandemic we were close but not too close of knowing each others everyday lives, my dad was always busy with work and would be absent of the important milestones I achieved. My mom was always there for me, in every event, every exam, and every doubt fullness. So it was somewhat balanced, but something was lacking. During the pandemic, we were locked down in the house and had no choice but to talk and spend time together, which brought us closer. To myself, I became more aware of my surroundings and to be sensitive of the things I do or say. I am now more self accepting, to find new ways to grow without hurting my self in the process and to be more kind to my self. In being kind, I get to be close with myself and learn things. To find the greatness in life and share it with others, to share the blessings I receive.

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As an infant my parents and guardians would describe me as the quiet one and shy one, because whenever they try to talk to me or try to get me to laugh or cry, I wouldn’t do anything instead I would just look into their eyes and stare. They thought that I would become a cold hearted child as I grew up. Maybe at that time, my infant self was scared and afraid of the people around me, especially when at that time my parents and I were living with many people.

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When I was a toddler, my parents would describe me as shy, reserved, and aloof. The speculations they had when I was an infant became true as I got older. During my early years of learning how to walk, I wouldn’t try to run or get away from my parents instead, I would try to walk in order to get to bed and sleep again. My tita told me that the reason said my first word was because of a conversation we had, she told me that mickey mouse pooped in disney land and farted in front of many people. And my initial reaction was to cry, until she kept on pursuing that mickey mouse was really naughty and was irresponsible, then I said my first word, “dili mickey mouse” which surprised them because how can a 1 year old say the words “dili mickey mouse” but not the words mama and papa?

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During pre school, I was the biggest and tallest person among my batchmates. it was known from early on that I am quite big compared to my classmates. I never joined in any sports or music related activities because during this stage I was still very shy of the people around me. I wasn’t even comfortable with my relatives, with the people that cared and loved me, moreso of the people I never new existed. Everything was new to me, my school, being in school and the fact that I wouldn’t be around my favorite pillow, bonbon. And there I found my interest, eating I was never the child who didn’t eat what she didn’t like, because I never not liked anything. Anything my parents would give me I would eat it, even vegetables they would give me anything and I would devour it.

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I entered Ateneo at grade 1, and it was a big adjustment to me especially when my kindergarten years were spent in a very small school who only had 100 students in it, including kinder to grade 6, so you could say it was small and everybody knew everyone. But when I came to Ateneo, the library was so big I thought to my self that I would spend my entire day there. The canteen was so big that I knew I was going to gain weight just by seeing every food stall. Adjusting into Ateneo was tough, everyone around me had high expectations because I was an achiever back in kindergarten and now, that I am in a big school, they wonder if I can still keep up with the school tasks. And I did! I went to recognition with honors and a gold medal for Araling Panlipunan, that was my first year in Ateneo. As years went by, I experienced bullying because of my physical appearance. When I was grade 5, my classmate used to bully me, calling me fat, obese, and other things. I didn’t like what he was telling me and I got hurt, so I challenged him one day, to have a who gets the longest time in the hit glue gun. Basically, we would put the hot glue gun stick into our skin, and who gets the longest try wins. At first he was excited, until he backed out, I said “no let’s do this, wag ka matakot” which was fair because you were a bully and now you get scared of a hot glue gun? So I insisted, and directly put the metal part of the hot glue gun to his finger, and he got surprised which led him to cry. I was shocked because I thought he would just get angry, instead he went into full crash out and cried in front of our teacher, saying I hurt him. My gradechool years were nothing but fun and exciting, everything I learned are part of the reasons on how I grew up today.

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12 - Aranha-Sofia Amber Ibanez_1305705_0

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Colourful Minimal Brainstorm Roadmap Mind Map