What’s In Your Portfolio?

Welcome to your college education, where Chemistry majors take up Philosophy and Business majors labor under Physics. Have you ever wondered why in the world you have to take subjects that seem totally unrelated to your course? The answer is Liberal Education. According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Liberal Education is an approach to learning that exposes us students to a wider spectrum but enables us to have an in-depth study in a specific area of interest as well. We have to admit that when it’s time to face the real world, it isn’t going to be all about our favorite subject. Sometimes we need to work with other skills and talents.

This is what multi-awarded screenwriter Ms. Vanessa Valdez emphasized during the first Student’s Portfolio for the school year. Student’s Portfolio is a monthly talk for university students given by professionals from diverse fields who share their insights and experiences on what it takes to succeed in the world of work.

Ms. Valdez related how her background in Liberal Arts and her training as a teacher gives her a unique perspective in her work. She is convinced that learning doesn’t just happen inside the classroom. That’s why she considers it her task not just to entertain the movie-going public but to get them to ponder and arrive at a deeper understanding of truths about life and living.

The second Students’ Portfolio held last September 18 tackled Psychology. Dr. Melissa Reyes of the Psychology Department of De La Salle University shared her expertise in this field of mixed science and art. According to Dr. Reyes, “Psychology tries to gain an understanding of how the human person grows and develops.”

One of the subtopics Dr. Reyes emphasized was the context of development—the immediate environment where the person grows. For this, she used the story of Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner for Physics. Feynman’s childhood is composed of the little adventures he has with his dad. These encounters triggered Feynman’s inquisitive nature, hence prodding him in the scientific path. Overall, Dr. Reyes expressed that Psychology’s deep interest is in the life stories of people. “Psychology’s wisdom arises from a proper recognition of who a person is.”

Coming up next is a talk on working in the Banking and Finance Industry with Mrs. Joyvalerie Gatdula on October 16, Saturday at 5:30 pm.

By Ginnie Santos, Reprinted from Tahilan Trails October 2010