“Why did you take up accountancy?” This was the first question our professor asked on our first day in class on our freshman year. It made me ponder as it was never my first choice to be in this program. I remember, however, jotting down on a sheet of paper “It is my dream to become a CPA” just for compliance. I lied. Ironically, as I journey towards that CPA title, this statement is what I would cling to whenever I feel like giving up after the many times I fall. It gave me purpose. A story of resilience, passion, perseverance and commitment. A learning experience. A testimony of faith. These represent my CPA journey. It was surely a bumpy one, yet fulfilling. Getting there means going through lots of obstacles and experiencing downfalls but what is important is your ability to get your feet on the ground again and push yourself to move forward. I started with my journey without knowing even a single thing about accounting. I was lost. It was difficult for me because I did not know what I was doing nor where I was heading. Nevertheless, with every single step that I take towards the title, I learned to love accounting in a tough way and realized why I am in this program. Yes, it wasn’t really my dream but maybe, God destined me to be here. From that moment, I claimed that I’ll become a CPA and made a commitment to work hard for that title.
As I journey towards reaching my goal, things are getting tougher along the way. Thus, I multiplied my effort in studying. I would tend to stay up until 2 to 3 am and wake up again at 5 am just to study for 2 or 3 quizzes out of the 7 quizzes on our major subjects the next day and comply with all other requirements. This has been my everyday routine. But what’s heart breaking is that no matter how hard I tried, I still get low scores on quizzes and exams. “Sobrang nakakababa ng self-esteem.” Additionally, as a student, I engaged myself in various co-curricular activities, affiliating myself with different clubs and student organizations, despite the demands that our course require. I struggled in balancing academics and co-curricular activities but the learnings that I have gained from engaging myself with those activities are priceless. Aside from struggling in meeting my deadlines and cut off grade, and fulfilling my responsibilities, I also struggled in finances and other personal problems. I would sometimes borrow money from my friends and skip meals just so my allowance would be enough. I never even share any of my personal problems to anyone because I was thinking that I might be an additional burden to them. I tend to breakdown often because I feel drained physically, emotionally, mentally and even spiritually. It was too exhausting that I felt like I was already numb. Then there came a time when I obtained a failing term grade. It is way below the cut off grade that I find it impossible to reach the target final grade in order to stay in the program. After constantly debating with myself as to why I keep pushing forward instead of considering shifting to another course, I would always go back to my purpose. Why am I here? Why have I made it this far? Then I would go back to my usual routine and even doubled my effort.
As what my professors and my fellow BABA (this is our course code in the university for the accountancy program) would say, “BABAgsak pero BABAngon.” I relied on myself so much and became too confident with my capabilities. Another term came, and again, another failing term grade for me. This made me reflect on where I went wrong and what I realized really humbled me. I became to preoccupied with the loads of work that I needed to do that I forgot about the people around me- my family, my BABA family, my mentors and most especially, God. I skipped family affairs, isolated myself from my batch mates, and failed to recognize the existence of God for some time. It was an eye-opener for me. From there, my journey became lighter as I learned that I am not fighting for this battle alone. I have learned the essence of teamwork and community through this experience. “No one will get left behind” – that became our mantra. That is why during our review, it wasn’t as stressful since we, in our batch, became each other’s support system in addition to the support that we have from our own families and friends. Above all these, it was God who made anything possible. First off, He purposely placed me in this situation and it was also through Him that I got through this. In everything that I do, I surrender it all to Him and let His will be done.
During the board exam, before leaving the examination room, I always calculate my estimated rating in every subject. “Tax pa lang hindi na ako nakaabot ng kahit 50% man lang.” Despite that, I remained hopeful and prayed constantly. I never stopped praying although I know it might be pointless since there is nothing I could do about it. However, I know that whatever the results will be, it is God’s plan for me. Thankfully, by the God’s grace and faithfulness, I’m finally a CPA. I offer it to the people who believed in me, my mentors, my friends and mostly to my parents and my family who were always there for me throughout my journey. My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. To the 85.68%, never give up on your dream. Remember, “BABAgsak pero BABAngon.”
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CareersDecember 21, 2019My CPA Story: “BABAgsak pero BABAngon”
