Life has a way of leading us to places we never imagined for ourselves. After scouring the internet in search of a graduate course that could help further his career, Christian Sebastian found himself applying to and enrolling in the Executive Master in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management (EMDRCM) Program at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). The unique program offered by AIM’s Stephen Zuellig Graduate School of Development Management (SZSDM) aligned with his goals of expanding his knowledge, furthering his potential, and advancing his career by contributing to the field of nursing in new ways. As he puts it, “It was an accidental discovery because I was not aware that there is such a master’s degree that focuses on the management of risk, crisis, disasters, and most especially resilience.”
As an Overseas Filipino Worker based in Papua New Guinea, Sebastian spends his days working as an Occupational Health Nurse at Hides Gas Conditioning Plant (HGCP), a facility of Exxon Mobil Papua New Guinea (EMPNG). There are many risks involved when it comes to working in a gas plant as Sebastian does. The operations of a plant this size can have serious implications on the environment, the community surrounding the plant, and the employees working within the plant, if not managed properly. These circumstances make Sebastian’s EMDRCM training especially advantageous.
He believes that through its rigorous academic training and capacity-building, the EMDRCM program empowers every student to become a leader. He also says this leadership goes beyond their work in the field of disaster risk but extends to their family, community, and organization. Given the remote location and nature of his workplace, Sebastian hopes to apply the learnings from EMDRCM program to his organization by championing resilience in remote areas and making services viable in promoting the health and safety of the workers onsite. According to him, “The concepts and applications of adaptation, flexibility, anticipation, networking, and collaboration have been a great help in my organization.”
While ultimately fulfilling and empowering, his EMDRCM journey was not always easy. Sebastian readily shares that his first two terms of study were challenging. But he was determined to do well, and his faith helped him persevere, along with the motivation to provide quality service to clients and be a shining example to others.
He encourages other students to share the light within them, because one’s talents and potential should not be kept hidden. Sebastian believes that the attitudes, skills, and expertise honed within the EMDRCM program will help many students become leaders and allow them to influence their respective fields.
The Executive Masters in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management shapes future leaders and professionals with its immersive, intensive, and practitioner-oriented program. To know more about this one-of-a-kind program, email emdrcm@aim.edu or visit our website www.devatwork.aim.edu
