MANILA, Philippines – A cum laude graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering program at Technological University of the Philippines Visayas (TUPV), who placed 6th in the February 2024 Mechanical Engineers Licensure Exam (MELE), shared his testimony and inspiration to everyone that reaching dreams is not always achieved smoothly, but it can still be conquered.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/Christian JP Lijayan |
In PEP's feature on Christian John Paul L. Lijayan, 23, from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, he recounted his journey in achieving his dream of becoming an engineer. Despite admitting that they grew up in poverty, he said he did everything he could to obtain various scholarships to help with their financial struggles in his education.
“Luckily, financial struggles weren't added to the mix for me during my college years, thanks to being a DOST-SEI Scholar, he said.
The toughest challenge for his college life was when they returned to face-to-face classes in their final year. Lijayan expressed that it presented a major obstacle due to the missed opportunities for learning and practical experiences, which were essential for fully understanding the subjects. To keep up with the lessons and hands-on activities, Christian doubled his diligence in studying.
He openly admitted that it wasn't easy because apart from his academic obligations, he also had extra duties at school, particularly serving as the Editor-in-Chief of their Yearbook. Juggling the responsibilities of leading a team while aiming to uphold high academic standards was quite challenging, particularly considering his aspiration to graduate with honors.
He successfully managed to juggle these by employing effective time management and careful alignment of his priorities.
“I found a way to navigate through it all. Ultimately, I not only managed to handle everything but also graduated with a Latin honor to boot,” he said.
When he started reviewing for the board exam, other heavy challenges came his way. He was absent from the review center for a week due to a viral infection. Unfortunately, the subject he was supposed to review during his absence was the one he considered the most difficult.
Despite feeling overwhelmed with the backlog of material to cover, he lost heart, felt depressed, and lost motivation to continue reviewing because he felt he wouldn't catch up. Until a friend of his, who barely slept just to review and aimed to top the board exam, became his eye-opener to persevere in reviewing.
During the actual exam, Lijayan felt confident that he would pass, but he admitted to struggling immensely with Mathematics, Economics, Sciences, and Laws subjects on the second day of the exam.
Because he found those subjects difficult and felt he wouldn't make it to the top 10, he became lax in taking the subjects on the third day, such as Machine Design and Shop Practice.
He really wanted to be a topnotcher, but because of his struggles on the second day, he buried that dream. So, when the board exam results were released, he and his mother were moved to tears. His name was in the top 6 with a score of 91.10%.
“Parang nag-flashback lahat ng paghihirap ko sa loob ng anim na buwan, at naisip ko na nasuklian talaga yun,” he said.
“Napakasaya ko at that time kasi nakuha ko yung gusto ko talaga, at yung pinagtrabahuhan ko mula simula,” he added.
His message to everyone: “Each hurdle you conquer brings you closer to your dreams. So keep pushing forward, and remember that your dreams are within reach if you stay committed and work hard.”
Congrats, Engr. Christian!
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express
