Personal Assessment 1

HOW WELL HAVE YOU DEVELOPED IN YOUR UNDERSTANDING THE CHARACTERISTICS

OF INTEGRITY, COMPASSION AND SOLIDARITY?

Throughout this course, I came to apply solidarity in my understanding that it is about being
responsible for everyone else just like other people is responsible to everyone else. Whenever there are
announcements like an upcoming meeting today or a requirement that is due today, I am someone who
reminds others about it and others are grateful about me doing it. I used to be someone competitive that I
have to treat others as someone to be overcome. I developed this mindset when I was in high school. But,
as I have grown, I changed into someone who values solidarity. I initiate developing conversations in our
social media for us to remain connected. It’s hard during this pandemic that we haven’t seen each other
personally for a long time now so we have to make ends meet and that is to look out for each other and
notify each other about what we have to start, to accomplish, and to submit. It was a small act but it
somehow initiates the start of a conversation. It’s also my way of telling others that I am doing fine as I
reach out because I cannot help others and look for them if I have unsolved problems. Last Saturday,
there was a notification in my calendar updating about our CFE meeting. I informed my classmates about
it. It turns out that the meeting was cancelled since it was within the schedule of the preliminary
examinations. So, I was benefitted from them as well from that update. From there, I realized that my
friends cared to me as well and just me to them. We recognize that we are in this together so we help each
other out and that is beautiful.
There are times when my integrity was tested. However, I have to remain true to myself. What I
do in times of being confronted with this kind of test is I think about Jesus because He also went through
with this. Although this for me is hard to swallow, I still need to let go because that is the only way for me
to move on. As long as I trusted in God’s unconditional love and believed that I was God’s beloved,
everything will be okay. In relation with integrity, I have to know what this means to me by defining what
is integrity. For me, integrity is not being able to lie, steal, cheat and shade the truth. If there is anything
that I did is beyond that, then I’m realizing that I’m living in a world of compromise – a society that
abandoned moral standards and Christian principles based on accomplishing goals by whatever means are
necessary. When it comes to its practical application, it is evident in the work that I submit. Although it’s
hard and quite tempting to ask for help, I have to remain true to myself and try to face God for guidance
and clarity of thought before I make a decision that I will regret.
Service and compassion are already a given in my venture as a student leader. It’s hard for me not
to feel compassion especially to my team (officers). We are all government scholars who has to focus on
our studies which is our utmost priority. For me, I have to feel the time as well and ask myself “Is this the
right time to bother my officers about organizational works? If not, maybe we will just do academic-
related activities completely so that it will be less stress to them.” Knowing that we are all on the same
boat allows me to have this innate connection to everyone where I can just feel that others should not be
disturbed. However, we also find a way on our own for a while and work together the next time when
others made themselves available. In the family, I indirectly learned and apply committed service. It is
about not selfishly exploiting the weakness and shortcomings of the people I live with in the house.
Although we in the family sometimes do things on our own, we try to understand and give space to each
other to breath and then encourage the best in each member of the family.