Who has dreams? I am not referring to a dream that we usually have at night when we sleep. Rather, I mean those which we imagine to have or to happen to ourselves that seem impossible. When we were still small, once in a while, a teacher, an aunt, or simply anybody matured enough would ask us what we want to become when we grow up. Back in the day, we can be outrageous and respond that we want to be an astronaut and fly to outer space, become a scientist and discover another element, or become a superhero and save the world. But as we age, we then realize that, little by little, these dreams are so distant to reality.
I realized that my dream job was to be working in the National Economic and Development Authority the moment I was there for the first time. I was taking my undergraduate degree in civil engineering that time and I represented our university in a statistical analysis competition. I envisioned myself to be working there. I look at myself to be a problem-solver and to be a good communicator to influence societal change. Modesty aside, that came into reality and it took less than 10 years from that moment to the day I got sworn in as a Senior Economic Development Specialist. It was insane. I this really it?
Moving back further to when I was still high school, I excelled so well in chemistry and physics that I also had a crazy dream. I wanted to become a nuclear scientist or engineer. As funny as my innocent high school self, I randomly emailed and inquired to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or the MIT. Of course, I did not get a reply. Looking back at that moment, I just feel embarrassed and amused.
Now it may seem that I am too ambitious but that is what a dream is all about. In a Filipino saying, “libre lang mangarap” translated as “to dream is free,” we are not limited to our existence and circumstances. We are not limited by the people around us or the resources we currently have. It is our grit that takes us to places.
This leads us to the main point: why am I in Australia at the moment? I am here not to have a vacation, rather because a new dream, something I have not yet imagined or dreamt about is becoming a reality. I have a lot of aspirations to what I will become but ultimately, an unseen being or the universe also has plans for us for as long as we persevere. I am in Sydney, studying at the world’s top 20 university, the University of Sydney (USyd), for my postgraduate studies. Though MIT is currently the top university in the world, I am more than grateful to be able to study at USyd. Never in my life would I picture myself to be where I am now. It feels surreal even after a month of being here.
To be here is not a walk in the park. It was not like what I did for MIT where I just randomly (and quite oddly) and casually emailing them, “Hey, I want to study there.” I got here through a scholarship by the Australian Government through their Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Called officially as the Australia Awards, it is a study and research opportunity for Australia’s partner countries to develop the skills and knowledge of their awardee to drive change and contribute to their development. The benefits, according to the DFAT are as follows:
- full tuition fees
- return air travel–payment of a single return, economy class airfare to and from Australia, via the most direct route
- establishment allowance–a once only payment as a contribution towards accommodation expenses, text books, study materials
- Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE) – a fortnightly contribution to basic living expenses paid at a rate determined by the department.
- Introductory Academic Program (IAP)–a compulsory program prior to the commencement of formal academic studies covering information on living and studying in Australia
- Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the award (for award holder only)–provided to cover the scholar’s basic medical costs (with the exception of pre-existing conditions)
- Pre-course English (PCE) fees–if deemed necessary PCE may be available for students for in-country and/or in-Australia training
- supplementary academic support may be available to ensure a scholar’s academic success or enhance their academic experience
- fieldwork (for research awards and Masters by coursework which have a research component where fieldwork is compulsory) may be available for eligible research students for one return economy class airfare via the most direct route to their country of citizenship or within Australia.
I had to be screened for a lot of times. It was so intimidating, to be honest. There were several moments I as so sure I will make it and there were also times I asked myself, “Am I really good enough?” I am very grateful that my level of perseverance and my inner self-assurance earned me the scholarship in one try.
When accepted in the scholarship, there is a requirement to leave Australia for a minimum of two years after completing the degree. Otherwise, you will be required to reimburse the total accrued cost of their scholarship as stipulated in the contract you sign with the Commonwealth of Australia. When I return to the Philippines, I am also required to implement a re-entry action plan (REAP) as part of the scholarship agreement. My REAP is all about road safety targeting the subnational setting. I am yet to determine how this should be undertaken based on the degree I am taking here in Australia.
My key takeaway from this is that we should not limit our imagination. We should also be open to the idea that what we want may not be the best for us or may be a distant goal. However, working hard to get to that dream will lead you to places than not working at all. As I told my former chemistry professor in high school, I may not be the person I pictured while I was still young; but this redirection brought about by the circumstances, the opportunities, and the hard work I put in eventually led me to something big.
Wish and pray for me while I embark on this journey.
Ilonggo Engineer 