Explored Enlightenment
How the Preparations for JournQuest Taught Me to Serve, Not Just Direct

Several campus journalists would say that they learned about an aspect of campus journalism that resonated with them inside lectures, competitions, or maybe during on-the-ground coverages. However, it was a lot different for me. I was not holding a factsheet, a pen, or even my laptop. It was during my walks in downtown Davao alongside Davao Bureau members while preparing for Davao JournQuest 2026, holding semi-detailed sticker cuttings, when I fully absorbed the fact that campus journalism, at its core, comes hand-in-hand with efficient leadership.

As the concurrent Editor-in-Chief of the English Publication of the Philippine Science High School – Davao Region Campus (PSHS-DRC), Sci-Wings, I have always known that leadership, regardless of its nature, comes with its own struggles. For one, you cannot expect people to easily follow your directives — you have to get on their side to see both sides of the coin. In my four years of leading different audiences on the campus, I have not seen myself rushing in the middle of random places carrying the most unexpected things. It was not until JournQuest that I saw that leadership also covers that experience.

Taking initiative of your team isn’t only shown in the actual event that happens — you have to be there before and after the event as well. Even if it means bringing together the most unthinkable combination of items or challenges you to take on new responsibilities, a leader stands near not only to guide, but also to be part of the process. During JournQuest, I was immediately overwhelmed with many jobs stacking up in that specific week. I was still involved in many preparations besides the main event. Not only did I have a lecture on the line with Ate Yazmine Abo, my Davao Bureau Chief, but I also had to spearhead the posting for Davao City Editor’s Guild (DCEG) and give directives at the start of the school year for my fellow Pisay-DRC campus journalists.

Safe to say, the tower of tasks indeed drained me. By the Tuesday morning of the succeeding week, I was completely lost on what was next because of the intense pressure beforehand. However, the realization only came when I finally got to get back on track. I got to become a leader firsthand, not through official roles or titles, but by simply being there. By that alone, it was already enough to make me happy. I wasn’t only overjoyed by the fact that I got to speak to an audience from different parts of the region, but I was happy that I got to involve myself in the preparation experience.

Regardless if a campus journalist is part of a major organization or has a big event position, I genuinely hope that they find the place where they start to know that all their experiences add up to something that awaits them. While it is not a magical experience, it is an event that should ring a bell loud enough to spark major insights, not only as a leader, but even as someone who is also following someone else’s instructions. In that way, they can explore their enlightenment beyond all the event coverage, the articles, the graphics, and the newspapers.