Simply Pursue Your Dreams

            by Vic Odarve.

Last year, she was one of my top math students. Because of this, I always checked her papers before checking the others after every exam and quiz at school. I enjoy reading over her answers, observing the processes she took, and observing how she presented her mathematical calculations to arrive at her solution. She consistently received a flawless score, with a few exceptions. I therefore considered myself to be one of the fortunate instructors to have this student in my class. Her performance becomes a gauge of how well my instructional approach is. There it was.

Madonna University, Nigeria

I am comfortable with her way of performing as a student taking up an engineering course... a course where some stupid ones failed to graduate because of math. On one of my visits to the university library to read some local newspapers, she requested me to consider some explanation of the math solutions previously discussed in the classroom. "Okay, what part of the topic?" I informed her. She opened her notes and described the steps where she perceived the problems. After some explanation and discussion, she was content. "Thank you, Sir; I understand already," she said. At that point, I said, "What was the result of your last quiz?" "I got a 90% score, sir," she smiled. "Good, and on the next quiz, you must get a perfect score," I replied. Then she leisurely walked and slipped away out of my sight. I gave little attention. She obtained an excellent score. So, nothing to worry about She may be just serious enough and want to do more work on her studies every day.

University of Immaculate Conception

Then, the next quiz came. Only 2 out of 54 students in a class obtained an excellent score. And she was one of them! It was then that I focused her attention. I noticed that during the class session, she sat at the end of the last row of seats in a packed and overcrowded room. She listened intently and focused on my discussion. She didn't have a friend, and she didn't even talk to her seatmates, as if she didn't know any of her classmates! She must be extremely shy.

The semester math course was about to finish. I gave a quiz before the final exam. "This will be the last quiz," I informed the students. Then what was the result? She got a perfect score again! She had done it! I told myself, "She is a good performing student." At the subsequent meeting, I returned the quiz papers and scripts. She was absent. For almost two weeks, I could no longer see her. Then I inquired of her classmates what happened to this girl. To my surprise, none of her classmates knew her. She vanished, and I received no word from her or her whereabouts!

Math Class

I was completely pushed to the wall. After two weeks, my phone rang. The girl informed me that she had a part-time job in an instrumentation company to support her schooling financially, and thus, she failed to attend the class. I was dumbfounded and could not believe it. Lately, I also found out that another student who was often absent during my class lectures was also doing a part-time job in a food chain restaurant. It was then that I learned that both were irregular students.

Two years later, I saw their names posted in the school as board exam passers. Their names reminded me how these students were struggling in pain to become engineers. Their sacrifices were paid off.

Math Books by Vic Odarve

Life is a journey and for these two students who did sacrifice to follow their dreams of becoming an engineer are exemplary. The Bible puts it, "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" – Psalms 126:5-6 (NKJV). So, be it!

Sometimes we feel life is a pain but, in the end, shall reap in joy. Simply pursue your dreams.

 

 GIDAMGO KO ANG BATHALA

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