THE ULTIMATE GOAL

I couldn’t imagine how happy my younger self would be if she knew I was going to pursue her biggest dream. Growing up, it was hard not to fall in love with the idea of space. Though it was not that particularly mainstream back then given the fact my country didn’t have a space program nor an access to the likes of it to bring that much inspiration to kids like me, I got comfortable with books since those were the only things I could rely on to gain knowledge about what space was like and what astronauts do. My parents would give me random books which I would crazily go rummaging around for the parts that could contain topics under astronomy and spaceflight. Moreover, I even remember drawing myself wearing a spacesuit and riding rockets (spacecrafts, really, since rockets technically only give you a boost to reach orbit) and showing it to my classmates later on saying “this is me.” That was such a proud moment.

Few years had passed, still believing in that childhood dream of mine, I did exactly what I had always promised myself which was to do my best as a student from pre-school to grade school. The journey took great amounts of perseverance and dedication. I didn’t want to talk about my goals back then because I’d only get the “be realistic” as a repugnant type of response. Early in my teen years, there weren’t so much people who believed in ambitions this huge so it was a challenge for me to find mentors and people alike that could either way help me grow or shape my perspective. It was difficult, honestly, to preserve the passion when individuals around you tend to snap you away from it. But thankfully, I have a bit of stubbornness in me. When I got used to navigating and utilizing the internet while taking full advantage of it, that’s when the partial sense of independency somewhat came along. I got to teach myself the things I’ve been eager to learn. Eventually, I learned that it was important to talk about our dreams because we’ll never know where opportunities could come from. I was elated upon finally meeting people that motivated and believed in me and actually had a faith in dreamers who, since then, I was constantly working closely alongside with. Aside from space, I also found myself having a keen interest in robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence during my senior high school years. So in correspondence with that, I chose to major in computer engineering for my bachelor’s degree at Cebu Institute of Technology – University. I currently reside in the province because physical classes haven’t been implemented yet due to COVID. If it were, I’d be in the city living in an apartment. As for my leisure, I enjoy going out in adventures such as kayaking, paddle boarding, scuba diving, hiking, and freediving but quarantine restrictions are still going on so I mostly am in my room studying, coding, doing side projects, handcrafting accessories, working out, playing my guitar, and learning a new skill online. I have been constantly seeking for ways to learn new things that can open new doors to personal growth and new skills, hence, using online tools for professional development. I also am an advocate for space and STEM with a goal to help people understand and get a better grasp about the importance of space exploration, to help promote human settlement beyond Earth orbit that will eventually lead to the colonization of other celestial bodies including the Moon and Mars, empower women of color in STEM and encourage the youth to pursue a career in the said field. Just last year, I got involved in a chapter of an international organization called The Mars Society here in the Philippines (yes, the one that Dr. Robert Zubrin founded). Since that, I've met a lot of friends and colleagues from different parts of the country who share the same interests as me and I couldn't be happier to talk to them about our passion and how space truly fascinates and triggers the curiosity in us. In 2021, I officially became a part of the space industry right after I got an internship at OrbitX, the Philippines' first and only multi-awarded aerospace/rocket startup company that is also working on a fully-reusable and sustainable spacecraft powered by biofuel that is derived from plastic wastes. Not only do I advocate about space but I also do the same to our environment. I'm pretty much dedicated to take action against climate change, one of the most threatening issues of all time and to spread the awareness regarding the effects of current human behavior to the environment and how we can solve it by practicing sustainability and making an effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle on a daily basis. I am a proud member/volunteer of an organization called The Green Tribe Philippines that promotes initiatives that leads the youth to a green and sustainable living.

I guess that's it as of now. Good things take time, and the only way to go is forward. No dream is impossible to reach nowadays as long as you keep your passion and dedication alive along with patience and perseverance. You can always prove that having such big dreams is not just a fool's paradise. I hope this whole idea gives you optimism and encouragement if you ever find yourself in a place of doubt when it comes to pursuing what your heart truly desires. We may feel like we're just ordinary individuals but we can always choose to be extraordinary by any means - one of them is by simply having a dream. Go for it, and I'm rooting for you. You'll always have a place among the stars. Don't forget that.