Five years in ACCESS Computer College was the most struggling but best years of my life” said the man who made his college life extraordinary. A paramount display of leadership, integrity, persistence and faith. He refused to have his name be dropped in this article because he claimed that he’s nothing special and he did not care about fame. This story should be an admiration of how h e c o n q u e r e d c o l l e g e w i t h n o assistance or special treatment; or how he made the most of his life despite of his dismal and strenuous past but he wants to inspire the students who thinks so little of themselves. He wants to be an example that the statement “It cannot be done” should be said “give me time” with the right attitude. We have managed to get a short but meaningful interview with him. Let’s start from your very significant feature, Q: Have you considered getting a haircut? A: Started with a laugh, he shared the very reason of this distinctive profile. There was this episode of Naruto, M i g h t y G u y s a i d t h a t setting your own rules will give you the opportunity to do your best. For example, if I got failing grades, I’ll cut my beloved hair that I dreamt of since high school. Now, because I loved my hair so much, it made me aware of the consequences of what will I get if I don’t give my all. And yeah, that’s integrity, by the way. Q: You’re working full time and a student. Also, you’re active in two different organizations in school. How do you manage to get through all this? A: Compromise what you can, stop making excuses on why it won’t work and focus on thinking why it should. The secret is your mindset. If you justify yourself that you can’t do a thing, you won’t. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Q: How about the organizations, what’s your secret for leading your team and why they believe in you? A: There are no actual secret in that. Knowing yourself and knowing your allies is the best way to lead. Knowing they can do and what they cannot. Also, a perfect balance of rigorousness and consideration comes in handy. Q: One last thing you want to say to our fellow students? A: I won’t let you do it as I did, it should be a conscious decision. But once you do, you’ll be unstoppable. First is compromise and sacrifice. Give up what you can to gain what you deserve. It’s the perfect balance of the universe that in order to gain something, you have to lose something. In my case, It’s a kind of sacrificing my health since I don’t have anything else. Working for more than ten hours a day, school for another six hours, and don’t forget the traffic and other time consuming things. I Photo credits to Sir Gregorio Sison developed several health conflicts that I don’t want to disclose until I’m fully healed, but it didn’t stop me from moving forward. Good thing, ACCESS Computer College offers working students like me a friendly program to help me ease this arduous journey. As his last year in ACCESS Computer College, he bids his farewell saying “Always remember, no matter how unsightly or indistinctive your journey is, never lose sight of your goals.” -Ruth Salinas, ACCESS Manila