Kwentong Kolehiyo

I, too, chose UST.

I was the Valedictorian of our class and everyone expected me to go to UP, Ateneo, or even La Salle. But I took the other route and went to Espanya for college, a decision which gained attention from my high school classmates, teachers, and peers.They asked me so many whys with foreheads creased, like it's the worst decision ever. Smiling, I asked them back with "Why not?" Because seriously, why the heck not? My parents supported me, and most importantly, I believed then that my decision was right.

Until now, I know deep in my heart that I made the right choice.

There's something about UST that made me fall in love the first time I entered its gate, something that I didn't feel with the other schools. I knew then that it's going to be my home, that I wouldn't mind braving the floods or snatchers around because as I said, it's my home. When I'm inside the campus, it feels like I'm in another constellation, and in there, I meet wonderful people and experience breathtaking moments every single day. I don't need to be anyone else but myself. I don't have to be super rich, or super genius, or super sosyal to be socially accepted. I gained friends even in my weirdest state. In UST, I found true people. No one would mind if you eat in a carinderia or bring packed lunch because you want to save money. No one would judge you if you wear shoes bought in Marikina or in Divisoria. You just have to be you.

It's unfair for others to consider or think of UST as a "back-up" when they fail the top 3 universities. I know, people have prejudices and UST is sometimes a victim of that. But you know what, choosing a school is not merely based on what surveys tell you. Very often, it's based on what your heart tells you. I could go on and blab why my university is the best, but I'd be taking too much of your golden time since life in UST is too great to be summarized in just a few words.

Cheesy, I know, but I love UST because it's UST. Nothing can ever compare.

Proud Tomasina
2010
Faculty of Arts and Letters