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BEA VERDADERO (2 AB COM) is OrSem Tindig’s “BV na nagdadala ng GVs (Bea Verdadero who brings good vibes).” She’s the quintessential communication major, being a self-proclaimed daldalera (chatterbox). However, despite Bea’s easy going demeanor, her journey wasn’t all Canvas confetti and celebration.
Choosing the right college definitely was the first bump in her path. With no fixed expectations, she shares that the decision was both liberating and pressuring. After passing the Ateneo, she still had apprehensions about the school’s expectations and culture. She was particularly worried about the Atenean stereotype that students need to speak English fluently.
Adjusting to online classes was another roadblock. As someone fond of handwritten notes, the digitalization of everything—from scheduling events to using Canvas—was unfamiliar to her. “Hindi ko talaga na-get ‘yung Notion nung start (I really didn’t understand Notion at the start),” she states.
However, Bea credits luck and confetti for making the obstacles worthwhile. Quite literally, the Canvas confetti shower after a submission was a surprising yet rewarding event for her. Meeting like-minded blockmates was also essential for settling in. “I met people that I vibe with, ‘yung kalog rin magsalita at kalog rin humor (people with the same way of speech and humor),” she says.
As Bea entered college, she was pushed to try out novel things and seek experiences that would be gratifying. The girl who was “kinakain ng hiya (being eaten by shame)” in high school wasted no time to grab opportunities in college. Following a New Year’s resolution to be more assertive, Bea took the initiative to meet new people during her own OrSem Tayo last year. Outside block sessions, she reached out to people for group chats and Discord groups. Her OrSem experience became especially memorable as she clicked with her blockmates, ever forming inside jokes with them. Putting herself out there made her OrSem journey, albeit online, fun and enjoyable.
However, Bea still longed for the onsite OrSem experience. For this reason, she took the chance to audition as an O-Host this year. “Audition pa lang naman (It’s just the audition),” she joked at the time about the uncertainty she felt. Little did she know that her decision would lead to her first onsite triumph—a real life confetti explosion as she was appointed to become an O-Host.
Given Bea’s diverse set of experiences in the Ateneo so far, she naturally chose “Miss Relatable” as her hosting persona. “I really like that version of myself—may napapala ‘yung kadaldalan ko (my talkativeness gets me somewhere),” she shares.
Hoping to become relatable to the freshies, Bea aims to spread her infectious smile and her Pinterest-sounding advice with all of them. Her hosting persona has also been molded by her involvement in two organizations: the Ateneo Association of Communication Majors (ACOMM) and the Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADs). While ACOMM helped her to develop the hard skills and confidence for hosting, CADs allowed her to infuse her sense of groove from dancing into her persona—cementing her “sweet tooth who likes to groove” tagline.
As OrSem Tindig approaches, Bea urges the freshies to embrace change. One of her life philosophies is Heraclitus’ quote: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” The quote embodies her openness to change, extremely important today given the rapidly changing times.
With her platform as an O-Host, she seeks to make all Ateneans—from the Taglish speakers to the Jose Mari Chan meme enthusiasts—feel included. As Bea steps foot on campus for onsite classes, she wants to spread her wisdom with everyone, meet the tight-knit Atenean community, and get lost in the beauty of campus. Most importantly, she wishes to introduce Canvas’ post-submission confetti system to her onsite classes, with professors showering students in confetti after they pass their papers.
This OrSem Tindig, Bea assures freshies that they can count on BV to shower GVs with her uplifting chika. Whatever change anyone faces, she’s there to be our cheerleader, philosopher and confetti sprinkler.
