The Bond that is still evolving

PARTNERS IN FRIES:
BRENT AND SHED

         

        Hi! My name is Shed Amir M. Naing, and I will be sharing my personal journey—from the

first time I stepped into school all the way up to where I am now as a Grade 8 student. My

First Day of School, I still remember the very first day I went to school. I was very young,

maybe around four or five years old. I wore a backpack that was probably bigger than me at

the time, and I walked nervously beside my mom. She held my hand tightly until we reached

the room. I didn’t know what to expect. Everything looked new, and the kids around me

were noisy and playful. This was me 

 Honestly, I was scared. I didn’t know anyone, and I didn’t know what

would happen. But then, my teacher smiled warmly at me and said, “Welcome, Shed!” That

simple greeting made me feel safe. She pointed me to a corner filled with toys and colorful

books. I sat down and started playing, and soon, I made my first school friend. I don’t

remember his name now, but I remember we laughed a lot. It was the beginning of my

school life, and from that moment, I knew learning could be fun. My Elementary Days

Elementary school was filled with a lot of firsts: first quiz, first time joining a program, and

even my first embarrassment during a recitation. I grew up a little each year. But the part I

remember the most was when I reached Grade 6. Grade 6 was when I started becoming

more interested in academics—especially Math. I liked solving numbers and problems. I had

a friend named Matt who was really good at Math, even better than me. He became my

inspiration and my silent rival. I told myself, “One day, I will be better than Matt.” But

honestly, I didn’t study much at that time. I had a simple routine: wake up, fix my bed, brush

my teeth, clean if there was time, and prepare my materials for school. I knew I could’ve

done more, but I didn’t push myself enough. Looking back, I think I was still discovering

what I really wanted and how far I could go.

 High School Journey – Grade 7 When I

graduated from elementary, I had two choices: take things easy or challenge myself. I chose

the challenge. I took the STE entrance exam. To be honest, I didn’t take it seriously at first

because I was already interested in studying at Tolerance High School. I thought I wouldn’t

pass anyway, and I expected that even if I did, I already would've entered Tolerance.

Because I already took another entrance exam, exam, and the interview followed, and then

we waited. Later, when my mom and I went to inquire about Tolerance’s tuition, it was

 

₱36,500. That was when I hoped that maybe, just maybe, I had passed the STE exam. When the

list of passers came out, I was surprised. I passed! That moment changed everything. I felt

proud of myself and thankful for the opportunity. In high school, I got reunited with some

of my friends from elementary—Fatima, Al-Rayyan, and Jhanica. We were now part of the

STE program. When school started, the environment was quiet, almost too quiet. But slowly,

things became lively as I started making new friends. One of them was Trebor Jett. We

clicked right away because of a game we both loved: Battle Cats. We competed with each

other, he was chill about it, but I was addicted. I played almost the whole day, while he

played only sometimes. Eventually, our friendship went beyond gaming. I began talking to

more people, and soon, I had a circle of friends I could laugh and hang out with. At the end

of the year, I got a 91% average. Trebor got 92%. He beat me by just 1%, but that 1%

motivated me. I made a new goal—to beat him not just in games, but in education. Grade 8

– My Current Chapter Now, I’m in Grade 8. When I saw the master list, I was excited to see

that I was placed in the Euclid section, where Math would be our main focus. I felt like it was the

perfect section for me. But later on, they changed it—I was transferred to Einstein. I wasn’t

angry, but I was a bit neutral. At least I was still with my friends. Einstein turned out to be a

fun and lively section. I had friends like Trebor and Brent. Brent is interesting—he's smart

and funny at the same time. He’s the type of guy who will make you laugh but will also beat

you in class scores. So I set a new goal: “Beat the boys in the class,” especially Brent and

Trebor. During our Computer Technology class, we were asked to pair up for a project. I

teamed up with Brent. We chose a topic about Interactive Games and Websites for our

presentation. One of the games we included was Kahoot. Every day, we changed seats to sit

near the computer. It was fun learning and working with a classmate who shared my

interests. This year, my test scores are improving—although not perfect. My lowest was

16/30 in Filipino. I was disappointed because I didn’t study properly. That score reminded

me that I can’t just rely on talent—I need to add hard work and discipline. So now, I’m

slowly changing. I’m starting to study more—well, only sometimes, but at least I’m trying. I

want to do better. I want to be proud of myself. Every day, I follow a routine that helps me

stay on track. I cook rice and prepare meals, wash the dishes, sweep and mop the floor, make

 my bed, and prepare my school things. I always make sure to wear my uniform neatly and

never forget my ID. I also take care of my hygiene by bathing and brushing my teeth. Even

with these small responsibilities, I feel like I’m becoming more mature. My journey from

 

Preschool to high school has been full of ups and downs. I’ve had moments of fear, fun,

laziness, and determination. I’ve made friends, created goals, and learned from my mistakes.

 I still have a long way to go, but I believe that with effort, support, and the right attitude, I

can become the best version of myself. Thank you for listening to my story.

This is just the
beginning of my journey—and I can’t wait to see where it goes next. Next is the story for

Brent, my partner in C.T.

           

      Yo! My name is Brent Jazfer P. Handumon, I was born on July 21 2011, I was born in Manila, and came to Zamboanga when I was 1-2 years old and was handsome with no disabilities, I was in a great family having fun being as a toddler, I loved playing outside, singing, and editing, I thought that i can make the whole world a place where there was no harm in any way possible, that's what I thought, and then came pre-school I was anxious on the first day of school I was holding Lola's arm tightly, but I finished it with enjoyment. This was me when I was still a baby.

            In the elementary days, there were times when it was complicated because of COVID-19. I didn't learn much from modules after that; it was 4th grade. There was a limited face-to-face, the first time i entered school again after 2 years staying in home, I became less intelligent from when i was in 2nd grade, it was hard catching up to the lessons in 4th and 5th grade, but when i fully understand the lessons i was already in 6th grade, i got with honors on the 3rd, 4th quarter. On the finals, I graduated with medals around my neck and got home with a feast. And this was me in Elementary

            I saw a post on the ANHS Facebook page that there was a entrance exam for the STE program, when i saw the post that there was an entrance exam i quickly took the opportunity to take the test, I told my grandmother i want to take the exam, and we went to the elementry school to get my report card and went to Ayala National High School and registered. It was the day for the STE entrance exam, I prayed to god that i can remember all the things that i have studied for the past days, when i read the paper it was too complicated for me, so i skipped 1 subject, i understood the other 3 but not the other one, the teacher said that there was only 15 minutes left before passing the paper, I quickly used the strategy. ''Turbo'' because I didn't have time to read it all.

            The day of enrollment, I was nervous about whether I had passed or not. When I asked the teacher if I passed, she said Take a look, I prayed before looking at the students who passed. I was proud to tell my grandmother that I had passed the exam. She was happy, and we ate a little to celebrate my achievement.

 

        The first day was a little fun and that was the time i met shed, when i looked at shed i thought he didn't have eyes because when he smiled his skin covers his eyes, the time we became close was it was math time, I didn't fully understand the lesson, and I heard that shed was a math nerd so i approach shed and asked if he could show me the answers for the problem, and he solved the problem without talking, and again i didn't understood how to solve it. In the 3rd Quarter reading of honors, i was the only boy in our row so i became quiet and just played on my phone, but shed was behind me sitting so i talked to him a little and asked if he had load then he said yes so i asked if he could turn his hotspot so i can play online games and he agreed, and i thought, ''so he's kind okay'', we became friends up to this day i wished him to be fit in the future.

 Last year, we made it to the stage with honors in the grade 7 curriculum, and Shed received an additional medal for winning the speed math competition for the year.