Robynne Alexandra T.

Yee
NSTP CWTS EP-SA
Mr. Eugene Panlilio
12 May 2016
Reflection Paper
The highlight of my NSTP experience would probably be the
preparation of the giveaways for the guests. Though seemingly a small
task, it needed a lot of effort walking under the blistering heat and
bringing the items back from Katipunan Avenue to the Ateneo College
Covered Courts was no easy task that either of us were accustomed to.
Seeing the smiles of happiness and gratitude of the participants after a
long day of training was icing on the cake.
Our task as managers wasnt too big preparation, snacks/drinks,
and evaluations. Yet I found myself thinking that these were hard tasks.
It led me to realize that we Ateneans, for the most part, are too immersed
in privilege. We are used to being spoon-fed and coddled, so when we do
things outside of our comfort zones, were in shock.
This leads me to the value that I learned most from this activity:
humility. Humility is defined as a modest or low view of ones own
importance (New Oxford American Dictionary, 2016). Humility is
something I believe that we all have to learn. Learning how to be humble
isnt something that you can read or memorize, its something that has to
be experienced. We can only experience humility by living and seeing life
from other peoples shoes. We have grown to be entitled and thus we
look down on people we think are below us. Who are we to judge when
we are all equal in the eyes of God?
The next value I want to emphasize is generosity showing a
readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or
expected. As Ateneans, we aspire for magis doing and being more. By
being generous and exceeding expectation, we somehow fulfill this image
that we aspire ourselves to be. We as humans have an inherent longing

for self-affirmation. By reaching magis, we affirm ourselves for reaching

the goal that we had so long aspired for.
Yet, we must do and be more than people who want to feel better
about themselves. We shouldnt do things because we want a better
image of ourselves. Ultimately, we must be altruistic being generous
without expectation of anything in return. This, I believe, is the
benchmark of being a truly giving person.
I end this reflection with a quote from one of my favorite saints,
Saint Pedro Poveda: You do not have to be rich in order to give. It is
enough to be good. He who is good will always find something to give.