The Jacket That Mean The Most To Me

Today, when I was about to go my family’s doctor I noticed that the weather is somewhat about to be rainy and that cold so I came back home and decided to bring a jacket. I usually wear my hoodies but this time around most of them needs to be washed, so I look for another jacket and upon searching I was able to pull out my jacket wherein I have my last name being written at the back of it. During my college days, I have only two jackets wherein my last name is being written, the first one is during my presidency for the organization Junior Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers - UCLM Chapter wherein I become a Board of Director for my alma mater’s Council of Presidents (UCCP-LM) and the second one was my quizbowler jacket which was being sponsored by the good friend (Engr. Joel Mandawe and PRIME Review) of my instructor/mentor (Engr. Harold B. Borja, Sr.). My quizbowler jacket is so memorable both good and bad.

It was during the year of 2013 wherein it is also my alma mater’s second participation of Central Visayas Regional Mechanical Engineering Students Conference and it is also my second time joining the quiz bowl together with @jonmylestan and 3 fifth year mechanical engineering students. Prior to the quizbowl we had a practice at UC Main Campus during their final selection of quizbowlers, we have to admit we are nothing as compared to them, they easily beat us. But things quickly changed in a matter of weeks and months, when quizbowl arrived we managed to place 3^rd and they were so shocked to our performance at that time. And because of our performance in that quizbowl, PRIME Review Center offered to sponsor a jacket for us and told us if we can maintain the momentum together with @jonmylestan we will be having their all out support both in regional and national quizbowl, they do that since they have scouting for potential students who are a bit good. We were so thankful to hear the news and we were greatly inspired. And because of being able to placed third in the quizbowl, we got a slot for a trip to Manila for the National Mechanical Engineering Students Conference which showcases Machine Design Contest and the most awaited, National Mechanical Engineering Quiz Contest.

So we were so happy that we got a chance to be able to showcase and participate in the national quizbowl but 2013 was a very disastrous year for Filipinos at that time, we experienced a magnitude of close to 7 earthquake which hampered operations in our school and at the same time we got to experience a typhoon and because of that the releasing for the budget for our trip to Mall of Asia Arena is being delayed and during those waiting game my team are studying individually for we don’t have much time to meet and since aftershocks have been occuring at that time. So despite of those aftershocks we continued studying until the night of our flight bound for Manila and I was very excited to wear my jacket and be representing my alma mater. But that day was very disappointing and discouraging, our mentor texted each one of us that we will be canceling our flight because the quizbowl is about to start that afternoon, by the way our mentor went to Manila first since he need to register us first and he also need to register for the Mechanical Engineers National Convention, and he need to that in his own pocket since the budget was released very late. That day I was very silent, I felt demoralized and I told myself, we will be coming back strong the following year and my team will be making big gains and I’m going to use this disappoinment and heartbreak as my motivation.