Kim Campanilla’s fiery personality is evident from the moment you hear her voice. The “sometimes maldita, always pabida, diva señorita” might seem like a donya at first, but in truth, Kim prides herself on being relatable and having a big heart. “It’s just that I have a diva side,” she explains.
The communication junior has always wanted to be a something of a celebrity, and it shows in her style of hosting. “I think [I] would be a mix of Alex and Toni Gonzaga,” she explains. Like the aforementioned sisters, Kim wants to appear classy, but fun and approachable on stage. “People think I’m [snobbish, but] that’s not what I’m like,” she adds. “I try my best to look friendly and approachable.”
Her flashy dreams may line up to what she has been working on up to this point, but Kim says that her goals go beyond that. “As a [communication] student, people see me as this bubbly, pasikat person that doesn’t look serious,” she says. “But after this, I have plans to go to law school and try to make it there.”
However, hosting has always been one of her greatest skills. In high school, Kim was the go-to host when it came to outreach activities and Buwan ng Wika celebrations. That is why it may come as a surprise to many that OrSem is her first hosting gig in college. “It [has] always [been] my dream since first year,” she shares.
Before giving O-Host auditions a shot, Kim participated in last year’s OrSem as a member of the Security and Mobilizations (SecMob) committee. Watching the 2017 hosts on stage rekindled her O-Host aspirations, which proved to be the final push she needed before deciding to try out with her friends. “I didn’t know [that] I’d get in at all. I just wanted to try because you never know, [but] here I am [now],” she adds.
In line with shooting her shot during the auditions, Kim wants the freshmen to know that there is no harm in dreaming big. “Kung may gusto ka talaga, kukunin mo (If you really want something, you’ll go for it). You don’t find excuses; you just do it,” she says. “I never thought I’d make it here at all. I have a lot of insecurities and doubts about myself, pero ginusto ko ‘to, and I prayed [for] it, [and] worked for it.”
Kim has finally fulfilled her O-Host dream. However, this wouldn’t be possible if she hadn’t stepped out of her comfort zone. With OrSem Tayâ just around the corner, she implores the freshies to do the same. “There’s no harm in reaching for great heights. [You might] actually get there and make your dreams come true,” she says.
