Photo by Mark Jonel Abad
The Nursing Central Board of Students (NCBS) welcomed its student leaders to the 3-day event of leadership and camaraderie from September 20 to 22. The first day of “Ablaze: Building Bridges of New Student Leaders” was held at the St. Elizabeth Hall, San Martin de Porres Building, where the student leaders witnessed a pair of great speakers as they imparted their knowledge and insights toward student leadership and how they translated to the global industry. Stepping in first was, Mr. Nielson Dane Gustillo, a Technology Sales Leader, accomplished UST Nursing Alumnus and former NCBS Vice President. During his talk, Gustillo emphasized the role of the 4Gs in leadership: Greatness, Grit, Gratefulness, and God. For him, having these 4Gs necessitated the qualities of a leader for them to truly shine. The second speaker, a college alumna, former faculty member, and a member of the Professional Development Council for the Professional Regulatory Commission, Assoc. Prof. Inocencia Ida Tionko, RN, MHPEd, circled her discussions on Faith. She spoke of leaders as those who must stay on fire for God, and that it is necessary to have a teachable spirit, a willingness to seek counsel, and a willingness to be under authority. The first day of the leadership camp concluded with an open forum between the College’s administrators and the student body, where the latter shared their academic, personal, and other concerns related to the College.
Photo by Mark Jonel Abad
Events for the second day started at the Caliraya Resort Club in Laguna. They were welcomed by the event organizers of the club and were oriented with the various rules and regulations of the area. After a few hours of settling in, delegates were randomly grouped together for the race. Each competing group came up with their own team names and chants as the introductory portion to set the tone for the upcoming competition. The race kicked off with a puzzle-piece challenge. Once finished, the teams were dispersed throughout the map where they underwent rigorous obstacle courses and more difficult challenges. Despite the unexpected downpour, the race pushed on with the delegates traversing through several legs of the race: from canoeing, riding mini-ziplines, walking together on wooden planks, swimming, and even mud sliding.
Photo by Juris Carillo and Marcus Calayag
Each segment of the race had its own share of difficulty and physicality that both challenged the mental and physical toughness of the student nurse leaders. Eventually, after about three grueling hours under the cold rainy weather, the team “Three-ni,” led by NCBS Assistant Secretary Mark Del Rosario, triumphed and took the victory out of the other participating teams. The second day was concluded by dinnertime, where the delegates enjoyed other activities on their own within the vicinity.
The post-race processing highlighted the third day. Participating teams had their respective representatives share their insights. Jenaira Francine Robes, a member of Team Bossingko, mentioned that despite the shortcomings of their group throughout the competition, she was still able to realize the importance of democracy while leading a team. Robes explained that it is important to gather the opinions and suggestions of each teammate to lead the group properly in one direction. Lastly, discussions of the teams were topped off by a closing speech by Asst. Prof. Joanne Grace Balagtas, MAN, RN, one of the NCBS’ advisers. She expressed her gratitude for the success of this camp that has long been planned and how much this experience has made her more invested and supportive as an adviser for the organization.
Photo by Juris Carillo and Marcus Calayag
Despite the event only lasting three days, the student leaders’ atmosphere of gratitude and servitude remains. Everyone was in high spirits, even with the conclusion of the event. Multiple mistakes, wins, realizations, and shortcomings occurred within each team. Yet, these did not deter the student nurse leaders in pursuing the unique version of leadership that they seek to establish for themselves.
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