OCGS Student Council 2013 - 2014

To all of our Teachers,
These days may seem busy and tiring, just remember that your students are here to support you and God has your back.

Let’s do our part! 💕
The Student Council is inviting everyone to join us in writing encouragement notes + letters for our frontliners! Let’s allow them to know how we recognize their service, sacrifice and efforts during this trying time. May God touch your heart! 🌞

Only two more days left till our Thanksgiving Event! Prepare your wallets and bellies, it’s cheat day! See you there 🥳

We are excited to announce that one of our last two projects will be a wood painting and string art workshop with Kwen Cansancio! Kwen, also referred to as “K”, is both a college student and self-taught artist, who is working as a graphic and story book designer in Rocketstack Media and Branching solutions. She first started to pursue art as a passion in 2010, and painting five years later. She paints to share God’s gift, tell stories, and inspire others for the glory of God!
This workshop will be held at OCGS on March
13! Students will be given the choice to join either the AM or PM workshop. If you are interested, please approach/text any Student Council officer to render your payment and get your parent’s confirmation slip! Get your slot now for only 850PHP as only a few are available! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity 🌻

Let’s start the first day of our summer with some fun and creativity!

*Materials below are included in package

*Acrylic Paint will be provided on site. Not included in poster because kids will only get to use it during workshop and not be able to bring home 😊

As I write my testimony today, I am filled with many emotions I cannot describe. Simply because I am overwhelmed and amazed at how God has used this entire journey to allow me to meet him in a way I have never been able to before.

Growing up, it was always my dream to join the student council. The Grade 2 Rachel thought it was the coolest thing ever in the world back then. More so, a big part of me was never satisfied at the thought of being a passive follower my whole life, when there was an opportunity to do better and bigger things. However, getting here was never a smooth journey, which is why I hold the student council so close to my heart.

As most of you didn’t know, I was removed out of the student council as vice president when I committed a major offense two years ago. This experience caused me to grow bitterness, hatred and anger inside my heart. At that time, I didn’t understand why God had to take away something I had valued so much and worked hard for. Slowly, my heart grew callous for the Lord. I decided I no longer needed him in my life, because he was not able to protect me from the pain and emptiness I was feeling. What was the point of serving him if I was going to be unhappy anyways? Why couldn’t I just live life according to my own standards and satisfaction?

It was in my rebellion that I chose to seek acceptance and comfort from wordly things and lies. I entered into the wrong relationships, hoping to find what God was more than willing to give to me — his genuine love and solace. I had looked for things I could not find apart from God. Instead, I was found guilty of commiting sexually immoral actions and feeding lustful desires. Apart from this, I came to disobey my parents, grow apart from my group of friends, neglect my studies and many others.

Soon, I became exhausted chasing the things that only gave me temporal satisfaction and happiness, still leaving me empty afterwards. I realized that only God could ever love me in the way I wanted and needed. He was all I ever could fully depend on in this world.

It was at my rock bottom, where I felt God most initimately. I have seen how he has gracefully restored my past, into leading me up to this very moment. Never would I have ever thought that a person like myself, would be able to be your president. Who am I to be privileged enough to be given the opportunity to lead the school and the best student council family? Proof of his grace. God is real and is working.

It is more than an honor to be this school year’s president. I love my job with all my heart, which I have all of you to thank for. Thank you for allowing what Grade 2 Rachel thought was only a dream, into becoming her reality. I have seen how the student council has worked in not just my life, but to the lives of many others.

To my student council family, I love you with every piece of my heart. You are all a blessing to me. Thank you for making my job not just easier, but an enjoyable one. The family we have is something I will deeply miss when I leave the halls of our school. I am always thankful to God that we start each of our meetings with devotionals and intimiate conversations. Indeed, this is what has empowered us the most——by putting God at the center of our craft and work.

I have a million other people I have to thank, which cannot be contained in this social media post alone. Please read it on The Witness article instead and I’ll have to thank them personally. Regardless, each of you know who you are. Thank you for being an encouragement, a source of strength, prayer partners and my mentors. I am not who I am if it weren’t for your support!

To the future student council members, my advice is to always put God at the center of what you do. Every student council is known to serve its students, but our student council is different, and that is because we aim to glorify God first. Our motto “HIS vision, our mission” was created for that intention, and I am praying you will all come to put all you have into achieving that next school year.

To anyone who is held back by their past, I pray you come to find restoration and a new beginning from the one who loved you first. God has a great plan for your life and is excited to be with you every step of the way! It’s not too late to come into his arms again...❤️

I am Rachel Stephanie Go Lim, your President for S.Y 2019-2020!

To God be all the glory!

“To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.” Proverbs 16:1



DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE PART OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL?

Joining SC was not my decision. I did not even consider it as an option until I was Grade 8. However, God already planned it even before my birth. He planned everything. All I did was just to walk in His ways and He brought me into this path.

The school year 2019-2020, was a hectic year for me. I was busy with a lot of things and felt so alone at times. I struggled with my friends and with my academics. But every Thursday, I always felt excited whenever it was time for club because it means that all student council members would be gathered for our weekly meeting. It is here that I realized that the student council is not just about duty and responsibility, it’s about being a family.One family that is centered in Christ. Through the months we’ve spent together, the people I always meet every Thursday in the Student Lounge have become important loved ones in my life because we’ve worked with each together side by side.

President Rachel inspired me to become a leader that is spiritually guided to guide others. Serving by her side is an honor and I hope I can always be there when she needs me. Serving God on behalf of the school is the highest honor I can feel as a student. Doing things to make the school a better place, filled my heart with joy and gratitude to the God who put me in in the student council.

To all of you who aspires to be servant leaders, don’t focus too much on the things you are doing, but instead focus on the team you are doing it with. The things you did will pass but the relationship you developed will stay forever. Especially the relationship you developed with the leader amongst all leaders, God.

I am Girly Yparraguirre, your Vice-president for S.Y 2019-2020!



DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE PART OF THE NEXT STUDENT COUNCIL?

Honestly, I never really imagined myself as a student council officer. I could say that I had my fair share of visits to the disciplinarian’s office and all, so I didn’t exactly believe in myself as a respectable officer.

I clearly remember how some teachers (and the Trailblazers party) invited me to run. At first, I was really excited to have been given such an opportunity. I thought that it was an open door for me, and I just had to take it! However, after the idea really sunk in, I started to doubt that I just wasn’t the best candidate – that I wasn’t fit to be an SC officer. Even so, I put my doubts aside and shamelessly took an application form. After all, why would the teachers have invited me to run if they hadn’t seen potential in me?

Once I got my form, I stressed over on what to write. I literally spent 3 days trying to fill it up. I spent so much time writing and rewriting my answers, until I soon submitted my form. After that very moment, I was officially the Guardians party’s secretary. Then, days went by so fast; the Guardians and I planned many projects and prepared so much for the upcoming Miting de Avance – this made time feel so limited. Because of this, overwhelming pressure started sinking in, and I was once again starting to think that I have been too impulsive in running for the SC.

Eventually, Miting de Avance came, and I still remember how I did very poorly during the impromptu q&a’s. I thought I’d lose. But, amazingly, I didn’t! This was probably all God’s plan, because after being appointed as the secretary, I became more conscious of myself and my actions. All throughout the school year, I learned so much from the Student Council team. I’m not just sayi - typing this, but the SC has really shaped me into a better individual. I realized that being in the SC is not only about executing tasks and carrying heavy responsibilities, but also about strengthening other aspects of my life.

It has been a long year as the Student Council’s Secretary, taking note of just about everything or maybe 80% of everything that the Council discusses during meetings. I could say that nothing came easy, but I know that every ounce of hardwork paid off. Looking back to what the SC has achieved as a team, I can see how God really played a great role in empowering our workforce with passion. I do know that I have yet to learn more things though, especially in improving my penmanship (I am the Secretary after all).

Getting in the Student Council just made me realize that we really are never ready for anything, so we shouldn’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Rather, we should seize common occasions and make the most of them! 🙂

If you’re thinking of running (or even just doing something great), go for it! don’t wait until you’re a 100% prepared, because that will never happen. Just take opportunities once you’ve thought them through! Push yourself to the max, and test your limits. just remember to sleep, eat, play and stay hydrated 😉. Also, don’t forget to align your motives with that of God. As you take chances, you get to encounter new people and experience new situations. and, i could say that you can develop skills that will benefit you for the rest of your life. Don’t ever be discouraged, because the truth is, we are never going to feel fully prepared when we get a great chance, and that’s OK.

I’ll dedicate this last paragraph for the sc team!
To Atsi Rachel, thank you for teaching me the essence of true servant leadership. To Girly, thanks for teaching me the importance of fun. To Jung Hyun, thanks for stanning k-pop with me. To ryle, thanks for being cool. To patrick, thank you for dancing to Girly’s zumba routines (so that I don’t have to). To lovely, thanks for being really reliable. To cheznah, thanks for sharing your music skills. To angel, thanks for trusting me with stuff. To andrea, thanks for being the silent yet funny member of the group. To Shameena, thanks for your postivity. To Skye, thank you for being a good role model to the younger batches. Also, to T. Lorelie and T. Imma, thank you for always supporting the Student Council. With my utmost gratitude, thank you! This school year was really fun 🙂. I know that i can get really quiet during meetings, but to my fellow SC fam, you guys are kewl and i will forever cherish the moments we spent together!👌

Only 7 more days till school is officially over! 🥳 This year, we have a mini sportsfest planned out and special performances from the faculty, student council and select Grade 11 students! Stay tuned to know which of your favorite food booths will be visiting 👻

About this time last year, I was invited to run again as a candidate for Student Council. As one who lost in the election two years ago, I felt discouraged. But God gave me this verse while I was undecided whether to run or not: Proverbs 24:16, "For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity." This verse encouraged me to not be ashamed and discouraged of the fact that I lost, but instead, to learn from it and humble myself. When the results were announced and I knew I got in the Student Council, I felt happy, but at the same time worried. I started to doubt if whether I could accomplish my responsibilities as a treasurer.
Once the school year started and I got to know more of my co-members, I started to find this batch of Student Council very unique. I did not expect the meeting to start with a devotion. I was amazed by this and was eventually encouraged to do my devotion which really made me grow in the spiritual aspect. Although there were times that I really wanted to give everything up, looking at my co-members, I was encouraged again and put up my fire for serving back.

As the school year is ending, there are a lot of memories I would want to keep holding on to. With this batch of Student Council came encouragements. I realized that the Student Council is not just an ordinary group, but it is more than that. They are like my families at times, sometimes they are my friends and my counselors. I would really want to thank my co-members for being such a great encouragement to me and making this Student Council unique and memorable.

I would like to tell all of you who have the heart of serving God through serving the school, whatever may be the doubts and anxieties of your heart, always remember that God is there beside you to support when you’re tired, so put your trust in Him and take one step forward. At the end, it is God's will anyways. Just put your trust in Him and He will guide you. Lastly, just a friendly reminder to all, do not be discouraged of your failures, but instead, embrace it and learn from it because it humbles you.

Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

I am Jung Hyun Lee, your treasurer for S.Y 2019-2020!

Sometime last year, I got scared for senior year. They all said it would be the hardest and most stressful year of high school. Aside from all the school work that needed to be done, the simple fact that it would my last year in OCGS was enough to make me afraid. I was already stressed just thinking about it; then I was offered a position in the Student Council. I immediately thought to myself that I should just decline because I did not want to overwhelm myself the following year.
Then, one after the other, people started calling me out. "You should just join", “It's not gonna be much work", “You'r potential will be wasted if you don't join", “You can do it”. After being called out like that, I thought twice about my decision. I considered everything, and eventually concluded that I should just do it because it's my last year and should challenge myself to do it because it would be a good learning experience.
It's been a year since that point, and I don't regret it. I learned a lot of lessons that will surely be helpful in the future. All of this, happened because I challenged myself. How bout you? Are you up to the challenge?

I am Patrick James Geralde, your Grade 12 Representative of S.Y 2019-2020!



DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE PART OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL?

My life in grade 10 was probably the lowest point of my life so far. It was in that year that I experienced a lot of frustrations and heartbreaks that created a void inside my heart. I had a lot of misunderstandings with my peers, had a lot of arguments with my family, my grades declined, a close family relative died, and my relationship with God was even close to nothing. Then one day, when my best friend asked me to run with her for a position in the Student Council, I decided to give it a shot. Maybe SC can divert my attention from all the negativity in my life and probably fill up the void inside. Upon hearing the news, my friends and family cheered me on. Given their positive feedback, I passed the application form without hesitation and officially ran as the Grade 11 Representative of the Guardians party. However, during the campaigning period, I suddenly had doubts. When other students ran because of their passion for leading the student body, here I was, using SC as an excuse to escape my problems and to feel better. I thought I wouldn't win because of how selfish my motive was, yet I did.

Being part of the Student Council is both an honor and a responsibility. It was not easy to balance academics with SC duties because before I was elected as an SC officer, I was also a school scholar. Not only do I now have to maintain my good grades, but also my motivation to lead my fellow students. Moreover, the fact that it's also my first year in senior high makes it more challenging for me to keep the flame burning. It's amazing how God was able to sustain me throughout the year. Many times I was tempted to neglect my responsibilities, but it was through our weekly devotions that kept me back in track. Before, my relationship with God was at rock bottom, but through my SC family, I am slowly rebuilding my relationship with Him. I am beyond blessed to work together with equally talented and beautiful individuals. To Katarina, Shameena, Andrea, Angel, Cheznah, Patrick, Ryle, Jung Hyun, Alvin, Girly, atsi Rachel, T. Imma, and T. Lorelie, thank you for making my first experience in the Student Council memorable.

I believe it wasn't an accident or mere luck that I became an SC officer. As cliche as it may sound, but indeed, everything happens for a reason. Everything that happened in my life was all according to what God has planned for me. He placed me in this position to test me. I have been so comfortable with my job as the class beadle for several years that I should aim higher. Moreover, the student council became my avenue to give back to the school. I will forever be thankful to the school for giving me a scholarship that I would want to repay them through my service as an SC officer.

I would like to express my utmost gratitude to my batchmates who gave me a chance to represent our batch, to my family who had always been understanding and loving to me, to my friends who never failed to support me since day one, to Janine who persuaded me to run and most especially to God who made all this possible by His grace.

My advice to students who aspire to become the next Student Council officers is to know your identity. Whether you are a catalyst or a trailblazer, always remember the reason why you signed up for this. A Student Council officer prioritizes the welfare of the students and the school because after all, they represent the whole OCGS student body.

I am Lovely Jem A. Lapoot, your Grade 11 Representative of S.Y. 2019-2020!



DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE PART OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL?

Ever since middle school, I really wanted to run for a position in the Student Council. I did not have much determination to serve my fellow students but this was overshadowed by my desire to be part of a group of students who I considered to be the “cool kids”. These “cool kids” had the POWER, TITLE and FAME. As an 11-year old (who clearly knew nothing about how the Student Council really works), I knowingly made it one of my goals to achieve a position in the Student Council. I was confident that I was fit to lead the student body because I knew I had it in me.
As time passed by, I became more and more aware of the duties and responsibilities of a student council officer, but this caused my overflowing confidence to die down. I realized that there was more to it than just POWER, TITLE and FAME. I was finally given the chance to fulfill my almost-nonexistent dream when I was offered the position of Gr.10 Representative in the Trailblazers Party. After a few days of pondering and earnestly praying for guidance and wisdom, I eventually mustered the courage to accept the offer and fill up the form.
By God’s grace, I officially became a part of the Student Council (Weeee!) ---was very passionate at the beginning but lost interest as school work started to pile up and deadlines became unstoppable. Stress got the better of me. I was irritable and exhausted. Thank God for His prompting, I realized I was running my life alone. I relied on my own capabilities that going to God entailed so much effort. The Lord spoke to me. Proverbs 3:5 became so alive, I couldn't help but repent. I learned my lesson the hard way. The Lord's grace was sufficent and will always be.
As the school year is ending I would say that being in the sc was one of the best things I ever had at ocgs. I thank the school for the opportunity to serve and for everyone who supported me all the way. The difficulties I ecountered were incomparable to the beautiful experiences I had. I give the credit to my SC family but the glory I give to God alone!

I am Cheznah Dagoc, your Grade 10 Representative for S.Y 2019-2020!