I have found in university that there are a lot of interesting people in my program and in others, that spark my interest. Specifically, Justine Fajardo, who I have come to know in my experience in working with Her Campus at Ryerson University.
Justine is a fourth-year student in the English BA program at Ryerson University. She comes from a Philippine background with a sister and a brother. When talking to her about her life ambitions she was happy to tell me all.
Tell Me About Your Childhood?
Justine says that her childhood consisted of being with both her parents because she was an only child for 9 years. That is until her brother and sister were born. She says that it was a big moment in her life where her parents focus was not just on her but all three of them. When I asked her if it bothered her, she said that it didn’t bother her. In the beginning she felt as though the age gap was big for them to relate to each other. But now, she jokes that her friends think that her brother is older than her! Justine says that the only difference she finds between both her generation and her siblings generation is the app Musicaly! We both joked that we didn’t understand the app and would rather sing out loud instead of lip-syncing the songs we love!
I asked her if she enjoyed having younger siblings, she said no but quickly stated that although she loves having younger siblings, she would have loved to have an older sibling.
When we continued talking, we discussed the many family trips we both have been on and recounted our memories of going to Disney world! Which we both laughed at of how enjoyable the experience was. She discussed her trip to the Philippine’s when she was a little girl that did not involve her siblings. She jokes that her parents told her stories such as her parents meeting at a McDonald’s and how she classified herself as a “McDonald baby” because of it. In the end, she told me that although she loves spending time with friends, family time is most important to her, which is something I can relate to!
What’s in Store for the Future?
Further into the conversation, we talked about our hopes and dreams. I confessed that I aspired to be an author, which she joked and called me “Jane the Virgin”. She began to tell me about her ambitions to go abroad and teach others how to speak English. Her motivation in saving money to travel abroad to Asia and the Philippine’s inspired me because I always suffered from a lack in motivation. I believe that what she aspires to do will form her into a great person because of what she can give back to others!
If You Could Go Back, What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?
When I asked her this question, she shyly responded that she wished she was more of an outgoing person and not as shy. In a way, she said that working at McDonald’s and meeting new people made her confident to speak up. She also confessed that she used to be in singing competitions when she was younger, and wished that she had pushed herself more with that. She wished she had taken more chances with it because it would have pushed her more. Justine also confessed that two of her singing videos on YouTube had 16,000 views, you guys should check it out! Although she says she wishes for all of these things, she is happy with the outcome and where she is now. That these past experiences whether it be bullying from childhood or being shy shaped her to be the person she is today, which I can say is a pretty amazing person in my opinion!