A Fulfilled Dream and A Kind Woman of Great Influence
It was a beautiful day. I decided to write down my bucket list or dream list. One dream I wrote there was to have a job with a five-digit salary. I wanted to work from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
I prayed to God for that ideal
job I'd been dreaming of having.
Without a doubt, I know God would grant me what I've been praying for.
Days passed. I kept myself busy
doing the usual daily tasks. I lovingly served my loved ones - my family.
Finally, God answered my
prayer.
My sister Joy who submitted her
resume to the Human Resource Department of the University of the Philippines saw an announcement from one of the colleges.
She told me about the job being offered at the College of Home Economics
at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
It was a vacant position for a Project Assistant.
I prepared my resume and
portfolio. I wanted to get the job. It's a dream job for me. It's all about doing marketing materials to
promote the college.
So, a few days after, I went to
the place. I submitted my resume and had a short conversation with the Human
Resource Officer of the college. The HR
officer set me up for an appointment with the Dean of the said college, Dean
Adelaida V. Mayo.
It was I think around the month
of October 2011 that I had my interview with Dean Adelaida V. Mayo in her
office. The interview was a bit informal.
Dean Mayo is so kind that she made me feel so at ease during the job
interview. It was like having a simple
get-to-know-you conversation with an acquaintance or a newfound friend. She asked me to introduce myself and share
with her everything about me regarding the position I'm applying for. I even showed her my simple portfolio and
proposed future projects that I could do for the promotion of the college. I showed her a sample of my graphic design
works such as brochures, flyers, letterhead, etcetera. I even showed her that I'm also good at doing
layouts for a newsletter. Dean Mayo
liked very much the idea of having a newsletter. She was inspired by the many possibilities of
designs or projects which I could do for the college.
After almost an hour, Dean Mayo
called the Admin Officer IV She gave
instructions to prepare a contract for me to sign to finalize her decision of
hiring me as the Project Assistant.
Dean Mayo decided I start on
the first day of work in January of the next year which was 2012. It was on the second week of January 2012
that I signed the contract. I was told
that it was a renewable contract every year.
The first week was a challenge
for me since I have no idea how they wanted to promote the college and its
projects. The desktop computer which the
previous project assistant used was taken by the Admin Aide who needed a much
larger capacity storage drive in the computer to be used to store or record
scanned copies of the documents received in the Dean's Office. That's why I have no samples or guides to
look at with to base my design. Slowly,
by the requests and guidance of the dean, I was able to make my own version of
how I'm going to conceptualize designs for the promotional needs of the
college.
Dean Mayo who is an Interior
Designer also finished her Doctorate. She has a fine or exquisite preference for
art. Being an artist herself, it was easy for us both to collaborate
with our own set of ideas melding into one creative design for the first
project of one of the departments of the college.
I also made a tarpaulin banner
representing our college in a university-wide parade involving all the
different colleges and offices of the University of the Philippines,
Diliman. Of course, we were part of
those who represented our college in the morning parade. It was the "Linggo ng Parangal". It was one of my happy memories.
As always, Dean Mayo checked my
designs before finalizing them and having them printed or disseminated. She made sure that I would always end up with
a design that would meet the standards of all faculty members specifically the
head of the department for which I have designed the banner or tarpaulin. I didn't have any difficulty adapting my style to the kind of art Dean Mayo requires. Designing marketing
materials for the promotion of the college's projects or activities was always
an exciting challenge since I was required to use a set of four colors as the
maximum number of colors per tarpaulin or any marketing design. It is to give
an impression of formality and an emphasis on the fact that it's all about
being a part of education.
I often enjoyed the designing
part more than the administrative work assigned to me. Having handled a number of these
administrative tasks, I have come to realize my full potential not only as an
artist but in every aspect of work an employee encounters in any working
environment.
One of the challenges I
encountered was when I was asked by Dean Mayo to conceptualize a two-panel,
large-sized tarpaulin for the anniversary of the college wherein all the
accomplishments through the previous years and the latest projects resulting in
the present developments are featured. I
was so happy to be able to accomplish such an enormous design project and
received a lot of appreciation for my work from all the faculty members and
colleagues who were all very supportive.
There was also a time when I
was requested by Dean Mayo to make a design for a set of flyers for a certain
project. I had an art block. The dean
noticed that I was staring blankly at my computer screen. I was thinking of
what to put together for the flyers. She asked how I am. I honestly told her I
couldn't think of any idea. She smiled and told me, " Why? Aren't you
coming up with those 'creative ideas’?
" I nodded. She helped me right
away by suggesting that I used one of the paintings that symbolizes the
college. A little help and tons of encouragement from her and voila! I've come
up with the best-designed flyer that she's proudly shown to all her fellow
faculty members.
Dean Mayo is a great mentor. She shared with me her art preferences and style. I have learned a lot from her. She has a way of making everyone feel important. That everyone's voice matters and is given a chance to be heard. She's very generous with compliments and shows that she appreciates the dedication and commitment of every employee. She's down to earth. She has a very good heart. She knows how to listen. She may be the Dean of the college, but still, she remains a humble colleague that is compassionate but firm with all the people she worked with.
Dean Lady as she is popularly
known to all, is an epitome of an ideal educator who is selfless and with
great passion gives her service, time, and herself to the people God sends her
way.
I admire her not only because
of her professionalism, great work ethic. I could go on and on with the
endless good qualities of Dean Lady and her admirable sense of fashion. I'm a big fan of her. I love the way she handles herself - very,
very respectable and dignified.
There are so many wonderful
adjectives that I could mention here to describe her.
To me, Dean Lady is one of the
best women in the world that God blessed us with. I could never forget her for all the kindness
she has shown me. It's truly rare to
find people who would make a difference in your life. She didn't only make a difference in my life,
she even allowed me to realize my dream of making use of my
knowledge and expertise in the profession that I have been as an advertising arts
graduate and a graphic designer. For that,
I’m forever grateful to her.
In my heart, she would always
be the posh, gentle Dean Lady whom I would always admire and try to emulate.
The genuinely good-hearted woman who has practical but exquisite taste in
everything. She is my boss, my colleague,
my dear friend, my confidant. Known to all as the kind-hearted, elegant dean of
our college. And to most of us who had a chance to really get to know her
personally, I’d
say one couldn’t
help but love her for her being so benevolent. She is Dean Adelaida V. Mayo,
our beloved Dean Lady.
