The Story of My Life
Summary
TLDRSerafin Arviola, an associate professor of history and pedagogy at the Philippine Normal University, shares his journey from humble beginnings as a garbage boy to achieving academic excellence and becoming a peace educator. His initial dream was to become rich in America, but life took a dramatic turn when he witnessed the 9/11 tragedy, leading him to focus on peace education and conflict resolution in Mindanao. Today, he finds fulfillment as a teacher and peacemaker, fostering empathy and understanding among his diverse students.
Takeaways
- π Serafin Aviola is an associate professor of history and pedagogy at the Philippine Normal University.
- π From a young age, Serafin had dreams of helping his family and becoming rich by studying and going to America.
- π’ He initially worked in humble jobs like a garbage boy and selling various items in the market.
- π€ Serafin's life took a turn when his grandmother introduced him to Bukaspalan, a social center for the poor.
- π He earned a Bachelor of Secondary Education in Social Science with honors, which fueled his ambition to study further.
- π He was invited by the United Nations to speak on youth empowerment and peace education in the Philippines.
- π A significant life event was witnessing the World Trade Center bombing on his first day in the U.S., which affected his perspective.
- π Serafin wrote and defended his thesis on peace education in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, which led to international recognition.
- π₯ He faced and overcame animosity among his students of different beliefs, promoting empathy and understanding.
- π¨βπ« Serafin finds fulfillment in his life as a teacher and peacemaker in the Philippines, influencing others to be agents of change.
- π His childhood dream was different, but he now sees himself as a 'teacher of teachers,' embracing the opportunity to make a difference.
Q & A
Who is Serafin Arviola?
-Serafin Arviola is an associate professor of history and pedagogy at the Philippine Normal University.
What was Serafin Arviola's childhood dream?
-Serafin Arviola's childhood dream was to help his family and himself by going to America to become rich, like his neighbor.
What jobs did Serafin Arviola do before studying?
-Serafin Arviola worked as a garbage boy and sold chopao meat buns and lemons in the market before he had the opportunity to study.
How did Serafin Arviola's life change after losing his business?
-After losing his business, Serafin Arviola's grandmother brought him to Bukaspalan, a social center that helps poor people.
What degree did Serafin Arviola earn and how did he perform?
-Serafin Arviola earned a Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Social Science with flying colors, graduating laude.
Why was Serafin Arviola invited by the United Nations?
-Serafin Arviola was invited by the United Nations to speak on youth empowerment and peace education in the Philippines.
What significant event did Serafin Arviola witness on his first day in the U.S.?
-On his first day in the U.S., Serafin Arviola witnessed the plane striking the World Trade Center.
What was the subject of Serafin Arviola's thesis?
-Serafin Arviola's thesis was on peace education in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.
How did Serafin Arviola's experience in the U.S. influence his work in the Philippines?
-Serafin Arviola's experience in the U.S., particularly witnessing the World Trade Center bombing, motivated him to return to the Philippines to understand the Muslim community and work on conflict resolution strategies.
What role does Serafin Arviola play in the university?
-Serafin Arviola plays the role of a teacher and peacemaker at the university, fostering empathy and encouraging others to be agents of change.
What is Serafin Arviola's current perspective on his life and work?
-Serafin Arviola is very happy and fulfilled with his life and work in the Philippines as a teacher of teachers, contributing to peace and understanding.
Outlines
π Journey to Academic and Personal Fulfillment
Serafin Arviola, an associate professor of history and pedagogy at the Philippine Normal University, shares his inspiring journey from a humble beginning. As a child, he dreamt of helping his family and becoming rich, inspired by his wealthy neighbors. Despite facing challenges such as working as a garbage boy and selling goods in the market, he pursued education as a means to achieve his dreams. After losing his business, he found support at Bukaspalan, a social center for the poor. His determination led him to graduate with honors in Bachelor of Secondary Education, majoring in social science. His academic excellence and ambition were recognized when he was invited by the United Nations to speak on youth empowerment and peace education. However, his life took a dramatic turn when he witnessed the World Trade Center bombing on his first day in the U.S., which led him to reflect on his purpose and ultimately return to the Philippines to focus on peace education and conflict resolution in Mindanao. His work has since been influential, and he has been invited to speak in various countries about his experiences and strategies for peace.
π¨βπ« From Childhood Dreams to Teaching and Peacemaking
In the second paragraph, Arviola transitions from recounting his personal journey to discussing his current role and aspirations. Initially, he had different dreams, but life presented him with the opportunity to become a teacher of teachers, which he has embraced wholeheartedly. He now finds happiness and fulfillment in his life as an educator and peacemaker in the Philippines. His experiences, including the aftermath of the World Trade Center bombing and his work in Mindanao, have shaped his perspective on empathy and the importance of understanding different cultures and beliefs. He has successfully fostered an environment of understanding and friendship among his diverse students, including non-believers, conservative Catholics, and a Muslim student. Arviola's story is a testament to the power of education and the impact one can have as an agent of change.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Pedagogy
π‘Ambition
π‘Opportunity
π‘Youth Empowerment
π‘Peace Education
π‘Conflict Resolution
π‘Empathy
π‘Catastrophe
π‘Agent of Change
π‘Fulfillment
Highlights
Serafin Arviola is an associate professor of history and pedagogy at the Philippine Normal University.
Arviola had a childhood dream of helping his family and becoming rich by studying in America.
He initially worked as a garbage boy and sold various goods in the market.
Arviola's life took a turn when he lost his business and was introduced to Bukaspalan, a social center for the poor.
He expressed a strong desire to earn money and help his grandmother while pursuing education.
Arviola completed his Bachelor of Secondary Education with honors, driven by personal and family ambitions.
He was invited by the United Nations to speak on youth empowerment and peace education in the Philippines.
Upon arriving in the U.S., he experienced the World Trade Center bombing on his first day.
The traumatic event led Arviola to reflect on his purpose and redirected his focus to understanding the Muslim community in Mindanao.
He completed his thesis on peace education in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao with honors.
Arviola's work led to invitations to speak in different countries about his experiences and insights.
He fosters empathy and understanding among his diverse students, promoting friendship despite differences.
Arviola finds fulfillment in his role as a teacher and peacemaker in the Philippines.
He encourages others to become agents of change, reflecting on his journey from a different childhood dream to becoming a teacher of teachers.
Arviola's story emphasizes the power of education and personal transformation in achieving one's goals and making a difference.
Transcripts
[Music]
i am serafin arviola
this is the philippine normal university
i work here
as a an associate professor of history
and pedagogy when i was a child i have a
dream of
of helping me family of helping myself
i wanted to go to america to become rich
like our neighbor
one way for me to get rich is to study
but there is no opportunity for me to
study
i work as a garbage boy and then i sold
chopao meat buns lemons
in the market but apparently
life is uh not very good with with me
and when i lost my business
in the market my grandmother brought me
to bukaspalan
a social center helping the
poor people i remember that day i said
to one of the staff there
yes i want to earn money i want to help
my grandmother but i am doing everything
because i want to study
[Music]
i finished bachelor of secondary
education major in social science
with flying colors laude
all of these things i did
not only for my family for myself but
for my ambition to really to
to go to maybe america
to become rich
[Music]
i was invited by the united nations to
speak
on youth empowerment and peace education
in the philippines
and then in the afternoon i met a
filipina and she said if you like to
work here
let's meet tomorrow at the world trade
center
my heart was really was really
jumping for joy because finally i'm
just the first day in the us i i i met
somebody
and i think god is leading the way
on the following day i went to the world
trade center
i saw the plane struck the world trading
center
i see people jumping out of the window i
see catastrophe
and i told myself i think god is telling
me something
[Music]
before going to the u.s i was
finishing my thesis on
peace education in the
conflict affected areas in mindanao but
i forgot
everything when i went to the u.s
because
of the of of internal problem on my part
because of this
of these issues with me regarding the
muslims
but during those days that i was in the
u.s
i told myself the main reason why i
wanted to go back to the philippines
is to go to mindanao to understand
really the muslim this person this
this person
this other person from my point of view
after three months i wrote my paper i
defended it
and i graduated with honors and
the output of that paper is really a
conflict
resolution strategies that is happening
right
there in the midst of war i was invited
in different countries
to talk about my experience in mindanao
and at the same time
my reflection about the world trade
center bombing
i have some students that are
non-believers
and some students that are a
conservative catholic
and i have one one muslim student there
is an animosity
inside the class but after one semester
eventually they are friends because what
important
is how they will relate with one another
here in the university it is empathy
now i am very happy with my with my life
i am fulfilled with all of these
blessings
and this resolution that
i am useful here in the philippines as a
teacher and as a peacemaker
encouraging other people to be
an agent of change when i was a child
i have a different dream but god gave me
this opportunity to really
become a teacher of teachers
[Music]
you
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