Merry Christmas!

By: Kayla Tejero

 

This month is very special for me as it marks my first year anniversary of writing in this column for the award-winning ViaTimes. It’s been a year and yes, I met a lot of young Fil-Ams who graced this column. They were truly inspiring! It gives me a lot of accomplishment as a writer as I continue to provide this venue for young people to express their dreams and aspirations in life. This new title of being a columnist writer would not be possible without the gift of love and guidance from ViaTimes executives, Tita Veronica and Tito Joe. I am truly grateful for this opportunity as a young adult in the community to amplify the voice of our next generation – the college students. This year we celebrate Christmas as the most important holiday as it is the birth of our Creator. As the pandemic continues and with the rising COVID 19 cases, our prayers is for healing. We are also hoping for a successful and effective vaccine to roll out sooner. With this in mind, we hope to see a silver lining and to once again feel a sense of normalcy as we look forward to a prosperous, healthy and blessed new year. Let’s hear from our four featured college students for the month of December! If you would like to be featured, please email me at tejerokayla@gmail.com. Happy Holidays everyone!

Maria Villamor says, “As a proud Filipino-American, making my parents and my community proud has motivated me to progress my goals within my future career. I want to defy the notion of the “Filipino nurse” stereotype, and instead show that our hard work and selfless acts are the reasons why so many of us are in the profession. I hope to continue working hard as a nursing student, graduate next year, pass the NCLEX, and start working as an ICU nurse. I plan to further my education by becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist in the future.”

David Lopena says, “As a Filipino-American college student, I want to embrace the ambition of getting an education in the arts. As Filipino Americans, we determine success based on wealth and education, but what does that truly mean? I want to break the cultural custom of pursuing an education in the medical field and instead bring awareness to the arts education and those with artistic endeavors.”

Kayla Bumalay says, “As a Filipino-American college student, I am working towards achieving my Bachelors in Nursing with high honors. During school, I want to push my boundaries academically while integrating clinical practices by being an emergency medical technician or certified nurse assistant programs. Post graduation, my goal is to gain experience as a registered nurse for a year, and then proceed to gain my Masters in Nursing in order to broaden my horizons within the field and eventually earn my Doctorate degree.”

Hunter Darukhanavala says, “As a Filipino-American student, I am grateful for the opportunities I have had, proud of what I have accomplished so far, and looking forward to what I hope to achieve in the future. During my next few years on the island of Oahu, Hawai’i, I hope to immerse myself in the rich culture, learn, and earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Science. After graduation, I hope to better the ocean ecosystem regarding marine life through handson research, and spreading awareness by educating the world through underwater film and photos.”

Maria Villamor
Junior
Aurora University
BS Nursing

David Wilson Michael
Lopena, Junior | University of
Cincinnati: College-Conservatory
of Music, BA Ballet

Kayla Bumalay
Sophomore
Aurora University
BS Nursing

Hunter Darukhanavala
Freshman
University of Hawai’i at Mānoa,
BS Marine Biology