Photo by Cristina Sim
Rafa Chua (4 BS ME), still “the geek on fleek,” is ready to give it his all in his final run as an O-Host. Having been on the OrSem stage for three years, Rafa still remembers just how much effort his own OrSem volunteers put into making him feel welcome. Their selflessness kept him coming back to the event, ready to meet and guide the freshies over and over again.
As a veteran O-Host, Rafa also explains how his time in college, whether on stage or off stage, has shaped him into someone wholly comfortable with himself—and his hosting persona has evolved with this in mind. “My character [now] is [less about] being a geek and more about being someone who’s very confident and unapologetic in what I do,” he says.
With this learned confidence, Rafa is more than ready to advise younger Ateneans—not only the next batch of O-Hosts, but also the incoming freshies. His first piece of advice: One needs to be confident in taking risks in order to live out their potential: “You miss all the shots you don’t take,” he says.
To prove this, Rafa recalls that applying for OrSem was his first big foray into hosting. He explains how he didn’t think he’d get accepted as an O-Host, but was. “Ever since then, it’s really been a college journey of me jumping at things I never thought I’d get, then finding myself here,” he adds.
Along the way, he’s also gotten into the Sector-Based Cluster organization Kythe-Ateneo, which he now leads as its president. In his junior year, Rafa even co-founded Blue Bird Improv, an organization devoted to improvisational theater and comedy. These involvements show just how unafraid Rafa is to share his passions.
“Those are things that are very near and dear to me that I was really able to discover in college,” he explains. “Ultimately, it’s up to you what you want to do [in college]. It’s just limitless potential there.”
With two OrSems to realize that potential, Rafa is back and fully in control. Full of love and learning, this geek on fleek is sure to continue doing what he does best: Keeping the hype and energy up, one witty joke at a time.
