In the seventeen years that I have worked in the private sector, I’ve come across a number of esteemed professionals who have been, in one way or another, transformed by the Institute. This is why studying at AIM has been an aspiration for me — I knew in my heart that attending a program in this prestigious Institution would open up new opportunities and give me that indubitable edge.
In 2019, I stumbled across a LinkedIn post from the Institute inviting the public to a free Master Class on Disaster Risk and Crisis Management. I was intrigued. I reached out to the person in charge and, several days later, I found myself in a room-full of people listening to Professors Kenneth Hartigan-Go and Richard Cruz.
In the course of their presentation, they explained the Executive Master in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management (EMDRCM) Program. I must admit that I did not fully realize the complexity of the course at that time. But there was that nagging feeling inside me pushing me to get into the program.
Despite some initial apprehensions, I became part of the program’s pioneering batch. And as of this writing, we are right in the middle of Term 2 — just 10 more grueling months before graduation day.
Did I make the right choice? Was studying at AIM all that I hoped and dreamt it would be? Are opportunities opening up for me because of my school ID? Have I started to acquire that mysterious edge?
Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes.
The subjects are hard. The cases studies are endless. The professors are exacting. And my classmates … well, we do not always see eye-to-eye. But I love every last bit of this roller coaster of a life-defining ride. And while it is still ongoing, I know that I have been changed for the better. Whatever happens down the road, I will forever be grateful for this opportunity.
This Institute, the program, the people you will meet here, the whole experience — all of these will leave a mark. And when it is your turn to lead, inspire and transform, people watching you will know.
