Thursday, May 31, 2007 @ 8:00 AM

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My name is Kathleen Mae “Kamae” Sarrosa Iniguez. I turned 16 last March 11, and I am a proud Filipino. I am a college freshman, and still am struggling in my path to spiritual growth. My interests include art and its history, trivia, inspirational quotes/ stories/ messages ad superheroes. I am a normal sixteen-year-old, at least as far as I am concerned.

Life is the one topic that I never lose interest in. I love talking about it. Ramblings, blessings, experiences… name it and I will surely listen to whoever tells a story about life. The most inspiring life quote that has struck me is “Do not cry because it came to an end. Smile because it happened.”

I look back in all the years I have lived my life, and that quote always makes me smile. I do admit that I have many shortcomings as a person. I have always believed that you should live life with passion, and make the most out of it, but I am only human and I know I slacked off tons of times and did not always do what was supposed to be the best. These memories of mine make me strive harder to become a better person, and even if I do have regrets, I still smile when I look back because I know that it had somehow helped me become who I am today.

Aside from my personal struggles, I also see this quote as a reminder of the people who came and went into my life. Some are enemies, others are acquaintances and friends, and all together, they had made my life a pleasant experience. There are times when I would like to turn back time to spend it with those people (friends and enemies alike) whom I have missed and relieve the moment all over again, but I know there us no way I can ever turn time back. The best I can do is remember these experiences and see how it affected myself at present.

I know that this is a “Selling Myself” portion, and this is how I can best present myself. Strip me off with my hobbies, my personality, nothing else is left except for my principles in life, and that best defines me. Hobbies and personality are worldly things, and I do not want people to see me by how the world sees me. I want people to see me the way I (or maybe even God) see me. As I said, I am only human and prone to errors. My interests may change every now and then, but the way I see life will generally stay the same or might go one step higher/ be better). I may trip, I may fall, but I will always continue running the marathon set by God (and/ or life) before me. With all my best, I will never give up on trying to become who He wants me to be. I am Kamae. I am human. I am God’s creation, and I will always (and forever) be under construction to become a better person.

Labels: Module 2

Part 1: Self Awareness
My greatest achievement in high school was...
graduating with honors. I am very proud with this award because I literally gave all my tears and sweat in order to achieve this goal. Coming from Philippine Science High School, education was not that ordinary. Students get bombarded with Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Math and Research all at the same time, and every year of it gets exponentially harder. I am so thankful that my efforts paid off, but most importantly I thank God for keeping this vision (of being an honor student) alive for 4 years even though there came times that I wanted to give up. I also thank my parents for bearing those sleepless nights with me when I just want them to be by my side, and my peers for keeping my sanity and helping me a somehow normal person. ^_^

My talents, skills & strengths include...
being artistic and innovative, and at the same time, have passion, determination and optimism to achieve my goals. I will always manage to "make it" in one way or another. I will beat deadlines even if it means depriving myself of sleep for more than 36 hours. As I always say, "If there's Kamae, there's a way!"

Though I do not admit it, I guess part of my characteristics were affected by my love for art and the history behind a piece. One of my favorite "stories" about a sculpture came from a devotional I read. The story on that page talks about the sculpture "Moses" by Michelangelo. "Moses" was almost perfect, except for a chisel mark on one of its knees. Why did Michelangelo make a mark on that flawless sculpture? It is because he wanted it to come to life. Same goes for me, I want to achieve something that exceeds my expectations and will give glory to the Lord, because I am His creation after all.

My weaknesses and areas for improvement are...
worrying a lot and not being disciplined, especially in my study habits. I am still "pukpukin" when it comes to studying, but I am trying and will continue to try improving my study habits, especially because I need study habits if ever I want to get "honors". I should also stop worrying a lot because I think too much of what requirements will come chasing me tomorrow, the next day, the week after next, and so on. As my classmates keep telling me, I need to only worry about today, and face tomorrow's problems tomorrow. I guess they are right after all. ^_^

I am enrolled in my course because...
I like this course, and I am starting to more than like ("love") this course. I love tinkering with different things, and my imagination goes wild thinking of the benefits a work of mine can do. I want to help the Philippines improve in the field of Biotechnology, help the economy, improve the lives of others, and make other Filipinos proud of this country.

Part 2: Becoming a Lasallian Achiever
The things I need to develop in order to become a Lasallian Achiever:
1. Putting God first - He is the source of all, and He more than deserves my all.
2. Having compassion towards my fellow countrymen - La Salle wants us to be more than just intelligent people with big dreams, but big hearts too.
3. Loving my course - In order o be successful and change the world in my own little way, I need to love what I am doing.
4. Loving my Country - I was born a Filipino not because of nothing. I was born a Filipino because God put me here to change my country.
5. Be a Good Leader - A leader does not boss around, but works around and inspires the group in order to achieve their goals.

Labels: Module 2

Thursday, May 24, 2007 @ 8:00 AM

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Right now:
I think I need to stop worrying too much about my academics. I need to discipline myself more.
I feel stressed and burdened because I keep thinking of the problems/challenges I will face in the future.
I am an achiever and perfectionist. I want to reach my dreams and do my best in everything.

Hi! My name is Kathleen Mae Sarrosa Iniguez. You can call me Kamae, and please do not associate me with the names Camille and Camay (as in the soap) because I get really irritated when people get my name wrong even if I introduced myself clearly and properly. I turned 16 last March 11, and I'm currently a freshman at De La Salle University - College of Engineering with Manufacturing Engineering and Management with Specialization in Biomedical Engineering as my course. I came from Philippine Science High School, and I really enjoyed spending my high school life there. I'm an only child, and live with my father, Anton, and my mother, Karen. Don't worry about me because I'm not lonely at home. =) I have three dogs whom I love very much but barely get to spend tie with, and two cousins who live next door. I am a Christian, but I'd prefer the term believer. I don't want to call myself a Born-Again or an Evangelical because people usually misinterpret these terms.

I do admit that lately, I lack on my religious growth because I leaned towards worldly stuff this summer. Hopefully, school will get me back on track with my walk with God.

I am a person who is highly fascinated with art, not just drawing/doodling perse. My favorite artist is an architect whose name is Antonio Gaudi, but I also love looking and examining sculptures, paintings and mosaics. I also love collecting and knowing Pokemon, though I am sometimes shy at admitting it because I know it seems oh-so-childish. I also love reading manga like Detective Conan and Cardcaptor Sakura, books like Tuesdays with Morrie and Guinness Book of World Records, and comics like X-men: E is for Evolution and Superman: Secret Identity. Now... going to music, I admit I love classical music and "old" music. My favorite artists in music are Five for Fighting and Clay Aiken. I surf the net a lot, and I usually find myself reading online Christian manga.

I dream to someday see the Philippines be the great nation it once was and should be, and I'd love to help in the process to make this dream come true.

Labels: Module 1