To our dean of college of engineering, Engr.

Dany Molina, to the various

department heads of this college, faculty and staffs, students and to my fellow engineers,
good afternoon.

This afternoon, allow me to share my thoughts and experience on how did I end
up bringing that 4 – letter abbreviation, ’ENGR’ on my name.

Taking up an engineering course here at Central was a rollercoaster ride.

Especially when you are financially – lacked. Like me. I entered CPU as an academic
scholar. Reaching the cut – off mark for the scholarship program was like catching wind
with your bare hands. A lot of things must be sacrificed such as your time for sleeping
since you have to stay up until 2AM or 3 for reviewing to earn high grades. You have also
to familiarize hundreds of formulas every semester. But thankfully, my payment for
tuition and other fees had been lessened. Balancing this academic track to my part time
job was also a struggle. Throughout my college career, I’ve been tutoring students from
different levels to earn for my allowance. Time management became vital to me to
balance my studies, job and rest. But with this job, I was able to save for the payment of
my review center, some of my house rent, and allowance during my stay in Cebu. After
the ups and downs and the help of the Lord, I managed to graduate Bachelor of Science
in Civil Engineering.

But the struggle does not end after graduation. It has a 2nd chapter: the Board
Exams. Preparation for board Examination requires an ample of sacrifices. This includes
being away from your loved ones for six months, being a strong independent
unemployed in an unfamiliar place and of course, balancing money and time. Reviewing
is really a big deal since you have to study again everything you learned for 5 years.
Giving up isn’t one of the choices we had.

As time passed, issue about changing our calculator has been revived. But this
time, it was the worst, One month prior board exams, the news broke about changing
570 ES Calculator to a Jurassic – type calculator. Everyone became restless. Honestly
speaking, I lost my desire in reviewing that time knowing that I will be soon bidding
goodbye to my 5 – year companion, the one I trusted the most. We had to say our
farewell to functions like integral and differential calculus and shift solve. We have to
adjust to that new calculator, in less than a month. Looking for the new calculator was
also a deadly encounter.We looked everywhere, at every corners of Cebu City. We also
tried to chat our friends in Manila and here at Iloilo to find one. We even chatted the
suppliers, only to get a response of ”Sorry, it is already out of stock”. During this time,
our patience and endurance has been tested. But thankfully, few weeks before board, the
announcement made by PRC was revoked; reviewing and taking up board exams
continued and ended well.

I won’t be able to surpass all these challenges by myself alone. So, this time allow
me to say thank you to different people who helped us one way or another:

To our parents, family and friends, who, through thin and thick, helped us in
financial, moral and spiritual support. To those who believed in us in times of doubts
and frustrations. To the College of Engineering, especially to Civil Engineering
Department, headed by Engr. Mary Earl Daryl Grio, and teachers, Engr. Gepulango, Engr.
Rizardo, Engr. Dela Cruz, Engr Ocate and parttime teachers, for imparting us the
fundamental principles, not only in CE subjects, but also in real world. Thank you for the
lengthy equations, rap-like discussions and numerous plates which enabled and
equipped us to adopt in the lectures and discussions in the review center. And to all of
the teachers, thank you ma’ams and sirs for being part of our success. And lastly to our
Divine Creator, our source of grace which we don’t deserved, for allowing us to survived
this obstacles that this world brought and about to bring to us.

Having a struggle is both a chance and opportunity, a chance to be a better

version of yourself and an opportunity to prove yourself, that you can do it, with the
help of the God. This has been, Engr. Joseph Conrad Liam Espago Cargo, a licensed civil
engineer, who still struggling, but ready to face it with a smile.