Jewel Ann Garnace

Good day, everyone! I am Jewel Ann Garnace, or Jewel for short, one of the ECFI scholars and currently a psychology sophomore at NU Baliwag.

It's been a year since I became a scholar of ECFI. I used to wake up every day questioning myself and my potential because of high expectations and standards that were set on you since you were born. Do you know the
feeling and pressure of being the eldest? You are supposed to be the breadwinner, a second parent, and a good role model to your younger siblings. It was tough, but I am doing well, but those years I don't feel like I do; I still feel like a failure. It was because the younger me is comparing myself to my younger brother, who is always the top 1 in his class and always gets praise for his performance and perfect scores. Everyday feels like a contest where I always need to prove myself, even though I don't really need to. Even though I wasn't in the top 1, I was a consistent honor student back then.
As I took the chance of being a scholar, even though I actually still doubt myself about my skills (there are people who are much better than me) but ECFI believes in me; they saw potential in me even though I didn't see before. I remembered during my interview for the scholarship, I admit I was shy, but when they told me, it’s not belittling others down when you claim you are the one. It is confidence; it is knowing and believing your own worth. We are looking for competitiveness, eagerness to pursue something, that kind of spirit. Because, reality check, there was always a competition, but it was on you if you would take it as a healthy competition or not, a sportsmanship, where you will accept whatever the result would be, knowing you didn't do anything wrong. Those words, advice, and flares say something about me, and in the middle of the interview, I change a bit.
My confidence does really show, not because I was triggered and desperate to be their scholar. It was more of an awakening call. As soon as it finished, I was proud and happily told what happened to my mother. And the day I graduated from senior high, even though I wasn't on the overall honors list, I was in the top 3 in my class. When my college journey began, I kept all their words in my head and in my heart to serve as a reminder and a drive. When I filled out forms like the hunt for a committee position in CSG, which is a student council, I wasn't expecting anything but I did become a committee of CSG, a committee for creative designs under public relations offices. And in my freshman year, I didn't expect to achieve a lot of things: I became a
deans lister, a committee member of CSG, a deputy of the Sexuality and Gender Alliance, and an officer of the Psychology Society while also being a member of the Solace Giver Peer Group and an active student. Conducted a webinar, interviewed random people at SM, one of the people who created the current Ms. NU-B her national custom, and it won an award, attended an intervention, a lot of seminars, and even a concert, and did a community extension.

ECFI made me realize that my real enemy is myself; the one who is stopping my growth and potential is me all along. Even I was shocked and amused at myself; I didn't know I was capable of such great things as that, being a student leader. And now as a sophomore, I will still continue to pay forward and help others by serving my fellow students as a student leader, being a kind and polite student, being a good and reliable daughter, being an inspirational role model to my brother, and being kind to all the people I meet every day, whether they are small or big. I was truly grateful to ECFI for opening my eyes and for supporting and believing in me because I couldn't do all of these without their help. Overall, ECFI is not just a foundation to achieve dreams but teaches us life lessons.