Hello fellow hivers! It’s me again, @rilyaaan, and let me share with you my small yet meaningful journey as a researcher at the Regional Festival of Talents.
It was late last year when our research teacher offered me a spot on the STEMAZING team. It is a school-level contest that involves the creation of a research proposal within three hours, with a maximum of three members.I wasn't sure about accepting the spot at first.
There are so many incredible students who seem like a better fit. I mean, I always did okay in school, but there are tons of people who are way sharper than me. But my teacher didn’t listen to my excuse and still persuaded me to be a part of the team because she saw my potential and dedication to research my whole junior year. And she said that the members who are already on the team suggested that I would be the best fit for the group. So there’s nothing that I can do but accept the role on the team.
Afterwards, we proceeded to practice. It was a bit challenging for me at first because I needed to adjust. I used to lead a research team, and my teammates are undoubtedly better and smarter than me, so I need to step down.
The mechanics of the contest are that the research problem will only be given during the contest, so we have no idea what the problem will be. So we have to broaden our knowledge and practice some problems that are given to us by our coach. Three hours is just a short period of time to create a research proposal; thinking of an idea could take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the problem, and the creation of a PowerPoint presentation is also part of the three hours, so it was really tough and challenging.
We had just one week to prepare for the cluster level; we received a full week off to ensure our minds were prepared for the competition. We practiced and practiced every day, and the time pressure was no longer a problem for us. Some of our practice problems are hunger, climate change, pollution, and cancer.
During the event, the problem involved agriculture. As far as I can remember, the problem was how to have more storage for planting on farms. We have practiced a problem related to that one, so it wasn’t that hard for us. After the three hours, we then proceeded with the one-minute presentation of our studies and the Q&A portion.
We were the first to present, so it put us under a lot of pressure because there were also some audience members. During the Q&A, I was eaten by my nervousness; it wasn’t because I wasn’t prepared but rather because of the pressure I felt from the audience. Out of countless questions from the panelists, I only had the chance to answer two. I felt ashamed of myself at that moment. We only won second place at that level.
Luckily, for the next level, the top two winners from the cluster level will be part of the division level. I felt so relieved after blaming myself for our devastating loss. I tried to make a research proposal solo every night because I wanted to prove to myself that I was worthy of being a part of the team. Our school had a hectic schedule a week before the division level.
There were a lot of events, programs, and tests, so we couldn’t practice. Our coach just suggested that we should read and practice at home during our free time because it’s impossible to practice at school during that moment. So I did my best to create three proposals before the event. The topics of my proposals were disaster, noise pollution, and agriculture.
At the division level, we tried our very best because this event will determine who will represent the division at the regional stage. It’s been my longtime dream to be a contestant at the regional contest, so this is my chance to make that dream come true. After we were handed the problem, we felt so happy because the given problem was once again connected to agriculture. All of us have done our research on agriculture, so it wasn’t that hard for us to come up with an idea and directly head out to write the proposal.
Before the Q&A portion of the event, I felt so confident that we would win because this time there was no audience and the venue would be in a room only the panelists were in. So there is no reason for me to be nervous and feel anxious. After our Q&A, I felt as happy as a human being can be because, unlike last time, I answered many questions this time, and we have a high chance of winning.
When the winners were announced, I was nervous because I thought I'd become so overconfident. When the third placer was announced, our entry number was called, which is entry number 3. I felt so devastated. But the host was just kidding; she said that it was third place, so she thought that entry number 3 was third place. I felt so relieved. The winner at the last cluster level was announced in second place, which means we won first place. My teammate even cried, and my smile was reaching my ears.
Before the regional level, one of my teammates and I were also participants in the regional press conference, so we weren’t able to practice that much because of the tight schedule. Our preparation for the press conference took about a month, so we didn’t really have a chance to practice for the STEMAZING event. The press conference lasted a week, so there is only a week left before the Regional Festival of Talents (RFOT). We didn’t waste anymore time and head to practice.
The host division for the RFOT was Toledo City. At first, we thought that it was normal and the same city we were situated in, but when we arrived there, we were amazed by how the people there welcomed us, and their hospitality and generosity touched us. The city was so beautiful and had many amazing tourist destinations as well.
Our billeting area was at Dumlog Elementary School. The faculty there welcomed us with sincerity. We were given by our school a budget of 180 pesos per meal; it was huge, and I think they want us to always be full so that we can give our very best at the event. After every practice, we always head out to the city to eat and get a glimpse of how beautiful Toledo really is. Every meal we had was at a fast food chain, so I didn't eat vegetables for a while.
During the opening at the Toledo City Megadome, participants from all around Region 7 were warmly welcomed, and the host city made sure that we would enjoy our stay in their beautiful city. There were a lot of good dance performances and band songs that entertained us all. After the opening ceremony, they provided all of the participants with a free meal, which we enjoyed greatly.
Afterwards, we headed to a department store to buy the materials we forgot to bring, like bond papers, snacks, and hygiene materials, then we went to our billeting area. When we arrived, we then proceeded with practicing one more topic for the last time before our anticipated competition began. We were slightly confident that we would secure at least the top 5 among all 20 divisions in Region 7 because we knew our effort in practicing and the time sacrificed would eventually pay off.
At the contest, the topic was solving the drought. We prepared for that topic, and we were confident enough to submit a thorough and flawless research proposal. Our proposed solution was similar to cloud seeding, but our proposal doesn’t involve a plane planting a chemical in the clouds; we propose to create a machine on land that will create a smoke filled with a rain-triggering effect that can easily make the clouds rain. In that way, drought-affected areas can have at least a small amount of access to water.
We defended it with confidence and no hesitation, with a smile on our faces. But when we saw other teams defend their proposals, they were so flawless and much more confident than we were, and at that point, we knew that we wouldn’t be able to secure at least the top 5. But we were happy with our output and performance; we had no regrets, so we fully accepted our tough loss. If there is something I learned from this experience, it is that many people are better than us, and they deserve what we expected to be ours. Our time will come soon. Stay focused, consistent, and patient. I still have a year left in my senior year, so maybe I can still join next year and hopefully bag a spot.
The day after, our coach really saw our dedication and hard work at practice, so she treated us to a trip to some famous places in Toledo City. Like at the Capilla Santa Ana Museum. It was cool inside the church, and just right beside it, there’s a maze that's so gorgeous. We really had fun and enjoyed our stay in Toledo City. I really recommend you all visit the city if you have some time. The city and the people are amazing!
Afterwards, we headed home with a slight disappointment and a smile on our faces. One of our classmates won her category and will be representing Region 7 at the National Festival of Talents. I know that she really deserved it because we saw her dedication to studying and her persistence.
A famous saying goes by, “Never give up, because great things take time." I always had that on my mind, knowing that God has everything planned and the right time for me will come soon. That’s it for today; see you on my next blog!
All photos are mine unless stated otherwise.