by Kristy Anne Chua
Amidst the global pandemic, Bedan law sophomore Gian Jeruie Fajardo Suyat strives to strike a balance between teaching and being taught as he also works as a full-time preschool teacher.
Some may say that Gian has the best of both worlds—a mentor and a mentee.
“One of the pros, as a working student, is that I’ve become more mature in dealing with stress and managing time. With regard to work, we are trained to deal with stress in a calm way, especially in my situation, because I am a teacher that deals with students and parents. One of the cons is that I quickly get tired because when I teach, I use my energy a lot to educate preschool pupils,” he said.
Due to the demands of his work and legal studies, he has observed that the lines which divide work and rest have already blurred. His bedroom, for one, has turned into a makeshift classroom.
“Every time I wake up, the first thing that I will see is my desk full of papers and books. Instead of feeling well-rested, you will sometimes feel the stress because the room where you can rest is now the source of stress,” he expressed.
Despite these, he still encourages future law students not to be afraid to experience new things in pursuit of growth.
“This pandemic taught me to be more humble and to restore all things to Him, to become prayerful and thankful for all the blessings that I am receiving. It also taught me to value more each day with my family because of the uncertainties ahead,” he said.
The Barrister 