SET D: “Answers for USC-JPIA
Feature”
How does it feel to be one of the most outstanding
students in the
I feel so happy and very blessed
to have been awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the
What does this award mean to you?
Being
included in the Top Ten is such a great honor and a responsibility at the same
time.
Before the Awarding Day, I prayed to the Lord. I told him that if ever He
will give me this award, it means a responsibility to serve as a good model for
the youth, to be an inspiration for student leaders especially those who come
from the far flung provinces to dream and excel in their fields, and to be of
service to our fellowmen especially the underprivileged and the marginalized.
Indeed, that is the true meaning of the award when it was given to me on that
big day.
What/who are your inspirations?
My
Inspiration
The teachings taught by my
parents at home, the learning I had in the Catholic
Christian school where I
spent most of my education, the doctrines I learned from the church and from the
Holy Bible, my exposure to the rural community and my experiences in life
especially my failures greatly motivated and influenced me to where I am
now.
The reasons of my
inspiration would have not been possible if not for my Lord Jesus Christ and the
people who rallied behind me. That includes my parents, my relatives, my
personal mentors, and my trusted friends. These persons played an important role
in contributing to the values and principles that I apply in my day-to-day
life.
First and
foremost, I am inspired by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My relationship
with God is a fountain of refreshment and inspiration to face the daily
challenges of life. Without God, I am nothing.
Next are my parents, Mrs.
Elizabeth Gorgonio-Baltazar and Mr. Alexander Moreno Baltazar. I believe that
the home is the basic unit of society and is the first training ground of a
child. The principles and values taught by my parents like honesty,
perseverance, respect, hard work, diligence, and humility molded me into the
person that I am now. The good training and discipline of my mother when I was a
child greatly contributes to the responsible, dedicated and God-fearing Stephen
of today. My mother is simply the best!!!
Third, are my relatives and
loved ones. These are the people who help, support and encourage me. I am so
grateful to them especially my cousin Daisy Gorgonio Cachuela for all the things
they do for me be it big or small.
Fourth are my personal
mentors. My personal mentors include significant persons in authority and my
teachers and administrators in school whom later on I have established good
relationship with thus calling them my personal mentors in life. My mentors like
Madam Ma. Luisa Cane has instilled in me not only the lessons of the subjects
that I enrolled but as well as the good values and principles in life that have
motivated me to be a good student leader and to achieve greater heights. My
other personal mentors include Mrs. Nimfa Alo, Ms. Mary Ann Badal, Rev. Fr. Mark
Mathias SVD, Mr. Manuel Gorgonio, Dr. Charity Tecson, Dr. Alicia Villar, Mrs.
Marissa Baldecir CPA, Mr. Benjamin Escolano Jr. CPA, Mrs. Filomena Lim-Gatillo,
and AYLC Congress Director Mr. Simon Mossesgeld.
Last in the list are my close friends. These are the good people whom I
hang up with. Chatting long conversations. Going out to have fun and enjoyment. Sharing opinions and secrets. The aforementioned are just a
few things that I and my close friends do. Simple yet they also influence me a
lot.
Summing up, God, my family,
relatives, personal mentors, and close friends greatly
influenced and inspired me to be who
I am now.
Who motivated you to be an achiever? What motivated you
to be an achiever?
My mother
Mrs. Elizabeth Gorgonio-Baltazar is the greatest person behind my success. My
mom has been very instrumental to my success. She is the person who motivated
and encouraged me to be an achiever. She has always been there to support, help
and inspire me. Kudos to my mom!
Another
significant person who motivated me is my ever supportive adviser and mentor in
school Mrs. Ma. Luisa J. Cane. I consider her like my second mother. She
has instilled in me not
only the lessons of the subjects that I enrolled but as well as the good values
and principles in life that have motivated me to be a good student leader and to
achieve greater heights. Madam Cane has been a great adviser and mentor to
me.
My
experiences especially my failures in life greatly motivated me to be an
achiever.
For me,
failure is a stepping stone for success. Although failure is really painful and
heartbreaking, I still look at the positive side of failures. There is always a
rainbow after the storm. I believe that we should not be disheartened by any
failure as long as we have done our very best. After all it’s not a matter of
how deep we fall but what matters most is that we rise each time we fall.
Is it hard to be a 4th year student and a
JPIA President at the same time?
Fourth year was the peak of
my career as a student leader. I was the President of our big co-curricular
organization; the USC Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants. This was also
the year when I served as founding president of the USC College of Commerce
Collegiate Student Council. I was also Executive Vice-President of 4
Extra-Curricular Organizations namely; Integrated Samar and Leyte Association of
Students (ISLAS-USC), Alyansa sa mga Bisaya nga nia sa Sugbo (ABS-USC), Movement
of United Students Towards Better Environment (MUSTBE-USC), and Student for
Progress Organization (SPO-USC). I was also a Board of Director of STUDENT POWER
PARTY (SPP). Aside from my organizations, I had 8 major subjects in my Academic
Curriculum as well. The saddest part, my granny, passed away this year. It was
really hard! Pressure on the rock! I had a hard time balancing my
academics and co / extra-curricular activities. But in spite of all the
challenges, I survived and triumphed all the trials and
tests.
How did you manage the pressures and
hardships?
During
college especially during my senior years, I had lots of responsibilities to
juggle. It was not that easy to manage my time. It was not that easy to deal
with the pressures and hardships that I encountered. How did I survive? I had a
BIG GOD with me. My faith in God, my positive attitude in life, and effective
and efficient time management helped me a lot to withstand all the pressures and
hardships that year.
BIG GOD?
Yes! Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and everything will fall into
place.
Positive
Attitude? Yes! Be optimistic! Look at the bright side of life. When failures
come, do not be disheartened. Rise each time you fall. Believe that when God
closes a door, He opens a window.
Time
Management? Yes! So, how do you do that? You need to set and choose priorities,
have an organizer or planner, make a good schedule or timetable of activities,
and make wise decisions.
How do you
find your responsibilities at the organizations that you are in?
My
responsibilities were big and overwhelming! It was hard but a BIG MAN with a BIG
GOD like me was able to manage them well.
What does it take to be a leader?
My life
as student leader was spent on juggling multiple responsibilities as a
responsible student, as a dynamic servant leader in various organizations, as a
courageous founder of two student organizations, as a good son to my parents,
and as a caring buddy to my friends.
What
does it take to be a leader? I would like to share these learnings from our
speakers during our TOSP National Formation.
Love you
calling with passion. It is the meaning of your life.
--- Mr. Onofre “Sir Pagsy” Pagsanjan
Know
your passion. Drop the “I” and pass it on.
--- Dr. Ryan Camado Guinaran
For me,
to be a leader, one must love what he is doing. No matter how big the
responsibilities are, as long as one loves what he is doing, everything will be
possible. A leader must love his passion for leadership and should value his
constituents. A true leader is not selfish; rather he replicates good leaders
like him.
To be a
leader, one must dare to fail and take courage. Although I encountered failures
at some points of my college life, I never gave up. I used my failures as
building blocks for success and as my inspiration to achieve greater
heights.
Lastly, a leader must not waiver his faith in the supreme source of all
knowledge and wisdom. Keep up the faith!
Greatest achievement in life:
My greatest achievements in life
are all the lives that I have touched with the things that I do be it big or
small.
What are your dreams?
My Wildest
Dream
“To reach the
unreachable star and dream the impossible dream…”
I dare to
dream the dream I dare to dream!!!
I am a person
who has a great ambition. I do not dream for myself alone, but for my family and
for our country as well.
Twenty years
from now I see myself as a successful CPA Lawyer happily married to my beautiful
wife and living with my healthy children.
By that time I will be operating my own business and establishing a
foundation for the children, the youth, the underprivileged, the marginalized,
and the less fortunate members of our society.
Thirty to
forty years from now, I hope to be the next President of our Republic or if not
a Senator or a Congressman of the Fifth District of
Leyte.
My Hopes for our
Country
In spite of
all the problems and crisis that the country is facing nowadays, I know that
there is a beacon of light for this nation. As long as there are Filipinos who
love this country, then there is hope for a better Philippines!!!
I foresee a
better Republic – a country that is not only economically progressive but also
alleviated from poverty, unchained from illiteracy and freed from corruption,
crimes and terrorism. I envision a nation wherein companies exercise corporate
social responsibility and globally competitive citizens are collaborating to
make a community where we can enjoy life to the fullest!!!
BUT unless
one dares; unless one risks; unless one takes a single brave step; the dream of
a paradise will remain a fantasy.
Any words for the students out there who also want to
stand out? Do you have any tips?
For those students who want to
excel and shine, I would like to share this few
thoughts:
O
ptimism! Positive attitude works!
U
nleash the genius in you. Be innovative
and find ways.
T
ouch lives! Give and share your time,
talents, and treasures to others especially the
underprivileged and the marginalized.
S
imply love what you do and give your
best in anything that you do. Enjoy!
T
o reach for the unreachable star and
dream the impossible dream…. Dream big, aim high and
do
your best to achieve that dream.
A
lways value people especially your
family and friends. Take good care of them.
N
ever lose hope. If God closes a door,
He will open a window for you.
D
are to Fail! Take risks. Don’t be
afraid to fail. Failures are stepping stones for success.
I
t is important to be true to yourself
and to others. Be real.
N
ever forget that whatever you achieve,
always place your feet on the ground.
G
od above all. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and
everything will fall into place.
Trust and keep up the faith in God!
Being
outstanding is not about the awards and recognitions we receive. It is about the
golden friendship that we have built with our fellowmen and the lives that we
have touched through the activities that we do be it big or
small.
---
Stephen Alexeus G. Baltazar
“Favorite
Quotations”
Life
is wonderful…Life is beautiful… Life is handsome and so am I. Enjoy
life!!!
--- Stephen Alexeus G.
Baltazar
Decide wrongly if you like... At all times,
decide for yourself!!!
Do the rest and God will do the best.
=)
Rest if you must but don't you quit.
You will never
taste the victory of success unless you taste the bitterness of failure.
Do not be disheartened by any failure as long as you have done your
very best. After all it’s not a matter of how deep you fall but what matters
most is that you rise each time you fall.
“Mnemonics for
Life”
GOD:
Goodness.
Be good to
yourself and to others.
Do to others
what you want others do unto you.
Obedience to God.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and everything will fall into
place.
Keep up the faith!
Discipline.
One of the keys to success is sacrifice and
self-discipline.
CPA
Formula:
Commitment + Prayer =
Achievement
All the
best,
STEPHEN ALEXEUS GORGONIO
BALTAZAR
Graduate, Bachelor of Science in
Accountancy
University of San
Carlos
Awardee, Ten Outstanding Students of
the Philippines for Region VII
Awardee, Ten Outstanding Students of
the Philippines
0927-391-2523
0922-260-0897