El Calibre's Ticket to the Top

By: Aizy Cassie Magcamit

Faith, hard work, dedication, and trust--- rather than luck, I believe these are the ticket to success. These are the key to be the best, the champion, and to stay on top.

“Say my name and everything just stops,” says the lyrics from one of Taylor Swift’s most popular songs entitled “Dress”. I think this best described how each of us felt while being called multiple times on stage to receive the awards in different categories. It was surreal, but it was heartwarming at the same time.

To win in any competition brings joy. But to be declared the champion is definitely exhilarating. Competing with nine other schools and being recognized as overall winner both in individual and group categories in English and Filipino during the Malvar Sub-office District Press Conference on October 7, 2023 at Payapa Elementary School make us want to sing our hearts out.

The recognition we received was unexpected knowing that we have veteran competitors, who, I believe, also prepared as hard as we did. It was nerve-wracking. We were intimidated. Someone from our team even said, “Baka tagapalakpak na lang tayo sa awarding.” But in the end, we were applauding because we were hailed champion.

Ours was a victory that was hard-earned. Although we only had a day to practice, I was a witness to how each of us exerted our efforts in writing articles diligently, having these critiqued by our peers and our coach, and rewriting the final copy. We were short of time but we did not lose our trust in ourselves and in God that we could overcome the challenges and stood out. We were thankful for the encouragement we got from our fellow journalists, teachers, and coach because everything seemed lighter and manageable for us.

Although it seemed impossible in the beginning, we did it. I truly believe it wasn't luck but purely a product of our team's faith, hard work, dedication, and trust.