Redefining Success: Through the Lens of the Enderun Community

There are many definitions of the word success. You can skim and scan all the dictionaries, or search the internet using every search engine available for your use, but there will never be a fixed or definitive meaning for success.

However, there are people that also say, “Success is not a destination, It is a journey.” Success is not something that happens with a mere snap of a finger. Behind every achievement comes a story, and behind every story is an author. With that, we’ll be taking a few pages from the books of some of the notable people in the Enderun community. Take this opportunity to put yourselves in their shoes as we dive into their stories and understand their angles on success. Today, we ask the Enderun Community how their experience and education have shaped their viewpoint on success.

KYLA EVANGELISTA

Much like every mundane student, Kyla Isabel Evangelista was the type of student who buried her nose in books and academic responsibilities. Being partial to staying within her comfort zone, Kyla breezed through her first few years of high school with one simple goal: to get good grades. Prior to her transfer to Enderun, she never really imagined affiliating herself with any organizations, let alone be one of the people manning them. And again, like everyone else, Kyla was one of those people who found themselves in high school.

Her life took a whole different route when she found herself enrolling in Enderun. She shares that her outlook on success did a full 36o turn after her transfer. To Kyla, her current viewpoint on success mainly stemmed from the classes she took in high school and the ideals the community was pushing for. Coming from a school with very text-book heavy and theory-based classes, she found herself learning more than she ever did in this different setup. At some point during her academic campus life, it was brought to her attention that she needed to become a more community-minded and holistic person. In her last year of high school, Kyla did just that and became more involved than ever. She joined ARI, one of the co-curricular organizations of the SHS student body as the PRO (Public Relations Officer), became the Batch Representative for Lux Lucis, was a host for the newly-inaugurated podcast, Enderun Unmuted, all the while managing to balance her academic responsibilities. She took even bigger steps outside her comfort zone by opening The Classic Cookie, a business that fueled her love for culinary arts. Having achieved all this, she wanted to give back to the community and truly make a mark. Now, a percentage of her proceeds gets donated to different charities and outreach programs.

Kyla shares that, “Everyone’s version of success is different.” Despite the many new epiphanies she had, Kyla firmly believes that her own experiences cannot be the basis of someone else’s concept of achievement. She hopes that the Enderun community takes it upon themselves to focus on their own journey rather than the route another person has taken. Now taking Culinary Arts in Enderun, Kyla believes that there are more windows of opportunity waiting to be opened. In the words of Kyla, “As of now, I am working towards the goal of being able to attain my definition of successful.” She feels that although she hasn’t reached the big picture just yet, the fact that she has grown so much is a mini-success worth celebrating.

If you wish to know more about Kyla’s brand, you may browse through her official platforms on Instagram or Facebook.

MIKAELA “MIKAY” LOPEZ

In the encouraging words of Mikaela Lopez, otherwise known as Mikay, “You don’t just grab opportunities, you make them for yourself.” Given her outgoing personality and prominent presence in the Enderun community, no one would’ve guessed that at a point in her life, she also hit that point where everything was stagnant—a slump. She felt that she was going at an unhealthy pace and even began to question her own decisions. However, Mikay isn’t one to back down from a fight. To see the silver lining in her predicament, she continued to push herself. This is her story:

After graduation from high school, she was immediately welcomed by her seniors in Enderun. Mikay held her seniors in high regard; she describes them as her role models who inspired her to work on carrying herself independently. They have helped her both psychologically and mentally, helping her build herself back up when she needs it most. Because of the help of these people, she wouldn’t be where she is right now. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have felt a sense of comfort and confidence because they always assisted me and they were always there to provide.” She also adds how her extracurricular and co-curricular activities have helped her go far and beyond. The challenges that came alongside the different organizations she was involved in opened many doors of opportunities and served as my training ground for the real world. She learned how to collaborate and work with people who have walked different routes in life. Through this, she developed a sense of understanding and acceptance which will bear fruit once steps into the corporate world. Lastly, she expresses her gratitude for her internship opportunities. She used the constructive criticism given by her internship supervisor and advisor as motivation to identify to improve in her field. These people helped her realign her purpose in life with her faith.

Whenever Mikay felt as if she didn’t reach the standard, instead of dwelling on the pessimistic side of the story and picking out her faults, she reminds herself that it doesn’t matter if she fails. What matters the most is what you do afterward. She defines success as that moment of picking yourself back up and striving for better—failing forward. At this point, she asks herself, “Will you settle for less or prove yourself wrong and do the unexpected?” By choosing to fail forward, she chooses to improve where she is lacking, to compromise and learn new lessons, and to use the obstacles that before her as stepping stones to trudge forth. However, it is imperative to remember that success cannot be achieved overnight. It is not a destination but a lifelong journey. Every single day you will find something that you would want to excel in and every single victory that you have, no matter how small or how big, learn to celebrate it and learn to pat yourself on the back.

With that, she leaves a few pieces of advice for her fellow Titans:

1. Aim for an Infinite Dream: Nothing is stopping you but you. Don’t aim just for the sky, aim for the stars.
2. Develop Connections: It’s either they provide the opportunities for you or you have someone to confide in when needed. Don’t burn bridges; make the most out of every encounter.
3. Be Challenged: Don’t stay in a place where you’re comfortable, go where you’ll be challenged because that is where you will be able to find yourself and you’ll be able to see how capable you are as a person.
4. Use Failure and Rejection as Your Fuel and Don’t Fear it
5. Know When to Peak: Even if you are more than capable of handling everything and even if you have all the resources in the world—if you spread yourself too thin, you will then be left with nothing and you will only be doing minimal impact to those opportunities.
6. Experience Things: Some things aren’t taught in books and it’s definitely a struggle to try and live a life that’s hearsay.
7. Stay Grounded and Humble: Remember where you came from, and those who helped you. Remember the experiences that paved the way for you to get to where you are now. Most especially, don’t stray away from your values and your purpose.

DONNA ALEXANDRA SATO

If you were one of those people who joined the bandwagon simply because your friends did it, then you’re not alone. Among all the people in the world, Donna Alexandra Sato, a recent Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship graduate in Enderun Colleges, has done the same. When Enderun started rolling out the applications for an exchange student program, Alex made sure to keep her expectations low. While it was one of her dreams to study outside the country, she didn’t want to risk disappointing herself if she didn’t get the slot. Little did Alex know that she wouldn’t only be granted the opportunity to fulfill one of her lifelong aspirations, but she would also be taking another step towards success.

Let’s rewind back a bit, back to when Alex was taking her last two semesters for her majors. At that point in her college career, her responsibilities started taking a toll on her. She even debated switching to a lighter and easier course to ease her burdens. Having grown up in a household full of big expectations and ambitions, it was hard for her to shake off the idea that success isn’t entirely about the number of figures in your bank account. So, whenever she received results that didn’t fit into her standards, she ruled out that she chose the wrong path. Howbeit, she found the light at the end of the tunnel in the form of the people around her. Now, her definition of success revolves around the relationships you build along the way and the impact you put on other people’s lives. Through the teachers who have mentored her by pushing her out of her comfort zone and helped develop her capabilities, Alex can confidently say she is well-equipped for trials the real world has planned for her journey. She even manages her own clothing brand through her official platforms on Facebook and Instagram now. She also thanks her friends and family who helped motivate her despite the cracks in the road ahead of her. “They helped me realize how far I’ve already gotten in life, and if I already survived tougher situations in the past, then there’s nothing else I can’t do.”

What Alex wishes to impart to the Enderun community is to treat your professors as mentors as they are with you every step along the way; accept and appreciate criticism rather than taking it personally to improve yourself; and finally, to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. “Even if you may deem the task impossible, there’s no harm in trying.” She further justifies this by saying, “By challenging yourself, you’re allowing yourself to learn and grow as a person.” Although she’s still working on her journey to complete success, Alex’s story truly resonates with many Titans.

If you wish to know more about Alex’s brand, you may visit her official website here.

ERIES CHAN

Eries Chan, or “Sir Eries,” is a professor who started as a Math Tutor in The Study, an extension of Enderun, way back in 2015. Sir Eries starts by defining success as what truly matters to us—the things we value, what we aspire to become, and the life we aim to live. As a teacher, there were moments when he questioned the things he did. Given the demands that come with enriching young minds and learning new things, the job is very demanding. And as a teacher, work does not end inside the classroom. I quote, “The profession demands patience, consistency, and understanding to the highest possible level.”

However, although things may have gotten tough, especially in the online setup, Sir Eries managed to continue to strive to become better. Teachers are often faced with the challenge to find the most appropriate tools to effectively communicate with the students. Under the supervision of Sir Simon, Sir Karl, and Ms. Marivic, he was able to unlock the necessary skills as he was challenged to hone his skills as an educator and become more confident. It can get tough, but Sir Eries says watching students embark on their own journeys all the while improving their academic performance and becoming responsible Titans makes up for all the hardships and obstacles he goes through.

Unlike his younger days when he used to associate success with financial stability and a highly profitable business, Sir Eries thinks success is synonymous with genuine happiness. He shares a moment that significantly changed his viewpoint on success. It was when he found out that one of his 12th-grade students volunteered to help two of her scholar classmates get ready for their junior-senior prom by lending her gowns and doing their make-up just to make sure they had the opportunity to attend a once-in-a-lifetime event. He used to think that success in this profession is based on having students perform well in their exams. Now, other than teaching students lessons from the book, he has the mindset to become a teacher who can mold students to become like that 12th-grade student. In order to become a successful person, he shares that we must take time to evaluate ourselves and check our priorities. “Your definition of success must define YOU.” At the end of the day, success can only be attained if we live out what matters most to us.

Success is a key factor in each sphere of our lives. Along with the constant changes and progress the world goes through, the idea of achieving success continues to dim bit by bit. Just as our fellow Titans have emphasized, we should not limit our angle of success on the mere letters on our report cards, nor the number of likes we get on the posts we share on social media. It is measured by our personal growth and achievements—no one else’s. So what are you waiting for? Your success story is waiting to be written.