A camp to remember

A lot of them were very excited, but some were still thinking, “Why am I here? What will I get from this camp?” Little did they know they would embark on a priceless journey of self-discovery, character development, and skill enhancement. Little did they know they would find something valuable that some people could only wish to have – a family.

The scholars were welcomed with motivating words by the Executive Vice-Chairman of PhilDev, Jones Castro. After expressing his gratitude to Shell, he went on describing the programmes for the 3-day camp, saying they are “expansive,” “exciting,” and “exhausting.” Addressing the scholars, he said, “You’re all going through the same road, but different stages of that road.” Furthermore, he shared four words he hoped the scholars would keep in mind: self, family, community, and country.

Edgardo Veron Cruz, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) Executive Director, on the other hand, gave an informative presentation about PSFI, its programmes (including the Shell-PhilDev Scholarship) and their respective beneficiaries. After his presentation, he advised the scholars to “Try to maintain a balance between other things you do and studying. At this stage, it’s important that you’re focused on your studies, not because of the scholarship alone, but because it’s all about your future.”

Batch 3, the newest in the bunch, had the Leadership Enhancement and Attitude Development (LEAD) Workshop, which batches 1 and 2 took before. This year, the earlier batches took up modules which Shell and PhilDev thought to be relevant and fit for them.

From the three days of intensive and learning-packed sessions, here are three things that make the Shell-PhilDev Leadership Camp 2016 a camp worth remembering:

Fellowship night

After the emotionally stirring and intellectually stimulating 3 days, the scholars amazed everyone with their talents during the fellowship night. Be it acting, singing, or dancing, they had the crowd smiling, laughing, and crying.

The scholars, especially those from batch 1, could not help but break down in tears because of their gratitude to Shell-PhilDev. It was definitely a night full of emotions, a night that marked the scholarship programme’s three fruitful years of nurturing the Filipino talent.

Capping off the night with nothing but positive vibrations, PSFI Programme Development Manager/Shell-PhilDev Camp Master Jay Javier thanked everyone for making the 2016 camp a success. Having seen the development of the scholars since day one, he challenged them to use their skills and achievements to make a positive impact in the country.

“You are all our future leaders. You are the leaders who will lead us into a brighter future. Don’t ever forget, you are our future. And we hope, we expect, and we are confident that you will lead the way not just for yourselves, but for all the other scholars who will follow you.” – Jones Castro

_{By Rachael Nathanielsz}

_{Article published on PSFI news magazine October 2016 issue}