GOLDEN ERA OF MY COLLEGE LIFE

I never imagined that my answered prayer would arrive wearing a crown—and carrying the reputation of an Evil Queen.

During the first week of my third year, my classmates were living proof that I hated Ma’am Loreal.

Yes, hated—with feelings.

Everything about her screamed high standards.

The kind of teacher you fear on the first day of class because you already know she expects excellence, even before you’ve proven anything. And honestly? Everyone would agree—she’s one of the best instructors BISU Calape has ever had. (Also, let’s be real, she’s the literal embodiment of the 😊 emoji.)

From day one, Ma’am Loreal entered the classroom with one clear expectation: we were to become the best products BISU Calape could produce.

At the time, I thought it was intimidation. Later, I realized—it was strategy.

The “Evil Queen” title was born during our very first reporting. As someone who hates exposure and prefers staying behind the scenes, being chosen as the first reporter felt like a death sentence. Every morning before that day, I woke up with my heart racing, convinced I wouldn’t even reach 50% of her standards.Reporting day came with zero sleep and maximum panic. And just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, she smiled and said, “Welcome to our teaching demonstration.”

At that moment, my fear level skyrocketed—and yes, my hate increased by at least 10%. She bombarded me with questions while sparing the rest of the class, and our simple reporting turned into a full-blown teaching demo. Then came the warning: many activities ahead. I barely survived what I now call her First Deadly Sin.

As her self-proclaimed Evil Princess, I secretly wished for a new teacher to arrive—hoping she’d be replaced. (Looking back now, grabe ka bastos sa akong past self. Love you, Ma’am.)

But little did I know—she was actually my answered prayer.

Before third year even started, I had prayed to God. I asked Him to help me become braver, more exposed, more willing to grab opportunities—even the ones I used to run away from out of fear.

And then God sent Ma’am Loreal—wrapped in terror, discipline, and a crown labeled Evil Queen.

She forced Kyla and me to host the Dramatic Arts Competition during Intrams. With fear, kaba, and kalagot, we agreed. And surprisingly, that moment changed everything. She made me appreciate the art of hosting—something I never thought I’d enjoy. Because of her, “hosting” was officially checked off my bucket list. She made my impossible… possible.

How ironic. I prayed for her to come into my life, yet I also unknowingly prayed for her to leave.When I found out she would be replaced, I broke. They say the more you hate, the more you love—and that truth hit hard. Sometimes, you only realize someone’s importance when they’re about to leave. That’s when I understood why Ma’am Loreal came into my life. She was a beautiful disaster—pushing us past our limits so we could grow.

When she urged me to join SSP Dialogue, I agreed—not with hate this time, but with trust. Then came another “wow” opportunity: being a scriptwriter and narrator for the University Pasundayag sa Talento 2025. First try—big stage agad. Because when Ma’am Loreal chooses you, the sky is truly the limit. For the first time, I felt like I had finally passed her standards in scriptwriting.

After almost two months with this war-freak SSP family, we formed something deeper than teamwork—a strange mix of chaos, closeness, and growth. If I had to summarize our practices: 85% laughter, 15% actual practice. We went back to zero—new characters, new script, clutch-time rehearsals—but we pushed through. Second placer kami, yes. But honestly? I felt like I won.

Because the trophy couldn’t outweigh the lessons, the closeness, and the confidence I gained.

Somehow, my hate turned into love. Maybe it helped that we share the same birthday. She’s my Evil Queen, and I’m her Evil Princess.

If I had refused her “threats” and challenges, we wouldn’t be this close today. God knew what He was doing when He gave me Ma’am Loreal. She’s there when I need advice. She’s there when I feel empty. She’s there to shake my life when everything feels too comfortable. She’s everywhere—so beware.And yes, this is my hate-turned-appreciation post—because she doesn’t trust me anymore. She’s my favorite judgmental. My favorite bipolar. My favorite Evil Queen.

If Sir Lambus hadn’t chosen her, she wouldn’t have chosen me. Everything traces back to opportunities—given, accepted, and embraced.

“When opportunity knocks on your door, it means you have the potential to do it.”— Ma’am Loreal👑

And this is my College Golden Era