Around the World with CFCA

A Teacher’s story: Where there is a will, there is a way

March 23, 2010 at 2:20 pm Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 1 comment

This is a story of Jose Marie V. Camargo (Joey, as he is fondly called), a fourth-grade teacher in Quezon Project. He was sponsored for 12 years and assisted by CFCA’s scholarship program from 2003 to 2007. Joey was first introduced in the 2010 Spring edition of The Scholar.

The lesson that I share with my class is, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” Success is everyone’s dream in life, and this is what everybody wants; however, only few achieve it.

I come from a family of six. My mother is a housewife, while my father works in school maintenance. I am the eldest among four siblings – two brothers and one sister. When I was a child, I thought I couldn’t attend school because of financial constraints, but upon my sponsorship with CFCA, everything became possible. I was born with a handicap, but this has not stopped me, rather, it has pushed me to fulfill my dreams.

I am presently working as a private-school teacher. I teach fourth graders mathematics and computers. I finished business education at one of the state universities in the Philippines.

I was able to get through college with the assistance of the CFCA Scholarship Program. The scholarship helped me pay for my school expenses, such as tuition, books and uniforms. Aside from financial aid, the services* I rendered to the community and CFCA developed my skills, talents and knowledge to be a better person – the person that I am now. I owe my success to God. I may not be successful in awards or money, but I am successful because I followed the ideals of CFCA: help children fulfill their dreams and touch their lives.

I decided to be a teacher because I believe I have something to contribute to a child’s development. Despite my disability, I can be a role model. I think is a powerful way of teaching, always being the person your students may want to be.

Interacting with students with a variety of personalities is what I considered most challenging. They each have different backgrounds, orientations, attitudes and behaviors. It would depend on the teacher how to blend and complement these mixtures of individualities. This is the challenge that I face everyday.

Being a good teacher means being faithful to the memory of all the good teachers who have motivated me and pushed my life boat within the oceans of life, through its waves and storms, even when it occasionally got stuck in the sand of a shore.

Today, thinking and remembering all of them makes me feel the great responsibility I shoulder to be like them and to become better, because I want my students to see me as a role model in the future.

I am the committee chair on education of the Scholars Alumni Association in the CFCA Quezon project. I have committed myself to creating a worldwide community of compassion. I will do my share in the voluntary work through tutorial sessions, teaching and talent development; become a role model to the younger generations; protect the rights of children, youth and elderly; help generate jobs for future CFCA graduates; share my expertise; and advocate for the mission and vision of CFCA. This is my expression of gratitude to the CFCA movement that changed my life.

To those who aspire to follow the path that many like me have walked, each has to have the heart of a child – kind, loving and joyful. This, perhaps, would lead you in your destined profession and vocation – TEACHING!

*Editor’s note: as part of the scholarship requirements, scholars perform service projects that benefit CFCA families, or their local community.

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