By Yani Ferrer

By Maxine Agno and Alexia Bangayan

Grade 11 students from the General Academics (GA) strand of the Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS)  gathered for the second session of the annual Career Exploration (CarEx) symposium held at Leong Hall on Friday, January 16.

Organized by the Ateneo Office of Guidance and Counseling–Senior High School (OGC-SHS), the seminar carried the theme “Patuloy sa Paghayo: Itaguyod ang Pangarap at Maglingkod Nang May Puso.”

The resource speakers from various fields shared their experiences during the talk, which lasted from 3:25 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The first topic was the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education and entrepreneurship, discussed by Mr. Marc Joseph Cruz, founder of the AI-powered education platform Guia and co-founder of Bihasa.

Cruz shared how his career path led him to create Guia — a startup that personalizes college preparations by analyzing student performance and generating custom study plans. 

Reflecting on his own journey, he encouraged students to choose values over comfort and highlighted the need for adaptability in the age of AI, stating that “continuous learning is important.”

Transitioning to the field of accountancy, certified public accountant (CPA) Ms. Myra Liza Sto. Tomas urged students to reflect on the path they want to take, saying, “Always have passion in whatever you do.”

She also reminded the students that choosing a career path is a journey, adding that career decisions take time.

Lastly, Dr. Manual Cuenca Jr. spoke about pursuing a career in medicine, outlining the academic requirements needed while emphasizing that “credentials matter, but your character matters more.”

He pointed out key qualities for the profession, including compassion, dedication, and resilience, and told the students that they will face pressure and uncertainty.

On the challenges of his field, he added, “These aren’t reasons not to do it but reasons to do it thoughtfully with your eyes open.”

He concluded his talk by asking the students, “What difference do you want to make?”

During the panel question-and-answer session, the discussion shifted towards emotional and psychological resilience needed in any professional journey.

The speakers acknowledged that hardships are inevitable, but noted that the outcomes depend on how individuals choose to react to the situation in front of them.

Following this, the CarEx session for the Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) strand is scheduled on Wednesday, January 21, while the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand is on Thursday, February 19.