Hub
THE ONE and only preppy chinito John Dy So (4 BS LM) is happy to be your “so amazing, so handsome” O-Host this OrSem Tindig!
Like many freshmen in the past, John was one of those who didn’t ride the OrSem hype train right away. He recalls his thought process during the first day of his own OrSem Silay three years ago, saying, “I remember going through that day. I messaged my friends after and I was like, ‘Ano ba ang hype ng OrSem na ‘to (What even is the hype of OrSem)?’” Because John tended to be closed off back then, he was not able to truly engage with his blockmates during the first day of OrSem.
A little bit of introspection, however, shifted his perspective overnight and changed his attitude towards the event. “I really appreciated all the effort they (my TNTs and SecMobs) did,” he shares. “I look back at it (the experience) with a smile—always.”
In fact, John’s sudden desire to become an O-Host was definitely fired up by his change of heart during his own moving OrSem experience. As a man of prayer, John says that he had written this new objective down in his prayer journal a little after his OrSem: “That was my first goal talaga for the year: I wanted to become an O-Host one day.”
Now that he’s a senior—who never applied as an OrSem volunteer in the years prior—applying for the O-Host role during the Hunt was a now-or-never opportunity. Inevitably, he hesitated to take the leap as his plate was full with academics and internships. He had also been inactive in his organizations, such as Ateneo Lex and the Ateneo Junior Marketing Association because he wasn’t fond of the online setup.
However, the Ateneo’s gradual return to onsite campus life has motivated him to be more involved. “I want to be more active kasi na-miss ko ‘yung new people and the company,” he says. Ultimately, John believes that the college experience is one of a kind when he is onsite and face to face with others. He particularly thinks that becoming an O-Host is the first step into immersing himself in extra curriculars once again. “Little did I know that dream would come true,” he says.
Before getting to his current position as an O-Host, however, John’s college journey was all but easy. In his freshman year, he initially started out as an AB Communication student before shifting into his current course BS Legal Management. He explains, “I gave it a year, pero I felt that COM wasn’t the right place for me.”
John was soon granted his change in degree during the first semester of AY 2020–2021, which fueled his drive to study harder and be a more motivated student. “I’m not sure if I’m going to pursue law in the future, but the fact na you see these [legal] cases come to life—sobrang interesting siya for me,” he elaborates.
Despite the change in John’s course trajectory, he never doubted that the Ateneo was his home because he strongly felt that the University’s values align with his own. “It’s always been a dream; I just knew I would fit right in here in Ateneo, and I really do,” he beams. “I’m really happy to be here.”
John also appreciates the openness and diversity of the Ateneo community—so much so that he’s grown to value engaging with people and hearing their stories. He finds excitement in experiencing the magic that occurs as he talks to someone in real life as opposed to interacting with them online. “I can’t wait to see my fourth year [in college] come to life,” he excitedly proclaims.
In the past three years of his college journey, John’s realized how valuable it is to put himself out there and learn from the people around him. With that in mind, he leaves incoming freshmen with his life motto: Leave people better off than when you first met them. Ultimately, Ateneo becomes home when you know there are people waiting for you—people who deeply and genuinely care about you.
“Be a blessing to others,” John says. “That starts in your small encounters: Be the first one to greet them, be the first one to smile because that changes everything.”
