It’s hard to miss Bea Arboleda (2 BS ME) when she enters the room. Clad in hot pink from head to toe, her unique outfit is, still only half her charm. The “bombshell Barbie ready for that hashtag selfie” commands attention with a personality that is equally bright and dynamic, and it’s clear that her presence was made for the stage.
Bea’s ease in the spotlight is nothing new. In fact, her hosting experience dates all the way back to high school. What started out as facilitating small class activities eventually accumulated to hosting school-wide events like Buwan ng Wika, charity drives, and Teacher’s Day.
It also helps that many of her other passions lie in the performing arts. Back in the day, Bea used to act in several plays and even became the president of her high school theater club. It’s safe to say that anything involving performance is right up her alley, regardless of whether she excels in it or not. “I love singing even if it doesn’t love me back. I [also] love to dance [everywhere],” she says.
Years in theater have crafted Bea’s personality off stage to be quite similar to who she portrays on stage. “It’s kind of the same, actually,” she adds, “I just have to enhance it so that people in the back can hear [me] well.” It’s also these qualities in last year’s batch of O-Hosts that resonated with Bea and influenced her to follow in their footsteps.
Bea’s love for hosting is only matched by her love for quality time with friends and family. “If I could pick one thing to do forever it [would be] to spend time with the people I love. They’re the reason why I got to where I am, and without them, there would be no Bea Arboleda.”
That is why her advice for the freshies is for them to go out of their way to meet new people. It may seem daunting at first, but the payoff is worth it. “You [might] forget the lessons you were taught,” she explains, “But the memories you make with these people—it’s something to cherish forever.”
Even then, it’s hard to be friendly when you have a bad case of the first day jitters. To lend a hand, Bea leaves the freshies with one last reminder: don’t be too hard on yourself. “Everyone in Ateneo is [here] to support you. No one is going to try to bring you down.”