On my third day at the Batangas Bayani Challenge, I found myself grouped with six new faces. They told me that they were students from Batangas State University (and in my head, I immediately dubbed them the “BSU Crew” because that sounds so badass).
I remember them telling me that they were actually in the middle of their finals and were feverishly working on a 400-question paper. They’d be with us volunteering from morning to mid-afternoon and then after that, they’d skip the Kalinga nights so that they could work on their paper. I asked them how that was going and they gave me that same smile I remember giving people who’d ask me how my thesis was going because I don’t really know what to answer… 😛
The BSU crew was great with the kids we were assigned to spend time with, deftly managing to coax the children out of their shells and getting them to sing, dance, and play along. They possessed unflagging cheer and were absolutely fun to hang out with.
What I found inspiring about them was that In the midst of all that academic pressure, they still managed to find the time, energy, and more importantly the heart to volunteer, bringing smiles and eliciting laughter from the children.
We can all take a page from their book and find the time and heart to volunteer in our own way, regardless of what we’re going through. Thanks to the BSU crew for showing us how it’s done. Good luck with your paper, guys! 😉
Amanda is a dork who likes to pretend that she’s a dog whisperer (but her Boston Terrier named Mozzie begs to differ). She signed on for a five-day Bayani Challenge to #endpoverty. Are you ready to answer the challenge? Check out http://bit.ly/ivgk2015 and register now!
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