I’ll admit, nothing will ever fully prepare you for life after college. The most difficult part for me was suddenly not being with the people I was so used to seeing every day. Moving back to the bay area and being 400+ miles away from my best friends & boyfriend was heartbreaking enough, but also having to worry about job applications, interviews, and taking a pre-req class for grad school was overwhelming to say the least.
I eventually landed a job at a Fortune 500 biotech company and I should’ve been proud of myself, but to be honest, I wasn’t. It didn’t feel like a right fit for me and I was unhappy there, but I stayed because I thought it’d be a dumb choice to leave such a good company straight after college, and it would look good on resumes and applications. I was able to toughen it out the first few months by balancing my time between working on weekdays, and then spending a lot of my weekends taking flights to Riverside to visit my friends.
It was bearable. But then... Covid happened.
Our lives and the world around us changed in an instant and everything we took for granted was suddenly stripped from us. I suddenly wasn’t able to take much needed breaks in Riverside anymore, and instead was stuck spending 8 hours a day in a place I hated and then going straight home. I felt stuck and hopeless, and it took a toll on my mental health. Constantly seeing the number of covid cases rise and being so unhappy with my present life was a huge wakeup call for me because it made me realize that life is too short & unpredictable to not be spending it doing something that makes you happy.
So, I ended up leaving my job, because if anything in life makes you unhappy or doesn’t feel right, whether it’s a job, relationship, or friendship, do yourself a favor and leave. I’ve been focusing on myself and spending more time at home with my grandma, my parents, and my dog. I also went to see a psychiatrist, which helped me immensely (if you also struggle with mental health issues, please please get help & always remember that you are never alone)!
I’ve spent a majority of my life always planning my next step and thinking of the future that I forgot to simply just live in the present. Although it’s important to plan ahead, with the future so unpredictable, it’s more important than ever to enjoy life right now. Spread love and gratitude (and not germs)! Every day you wake up is a blessing. Make sure to spend time with people you care about (safely, of course, we’re still in a pandemic) and don’t forget to tell them you love them & appreciate them. Because if this year taught us anything, it’s that tomorrow is never guaranteed.
I’m especially grateful for all the wonderful people I met through Katipunan- my kuya, ate, boyfriend, sibs, adings, grands, ggs, etc… Despite the distance, they are always cheering me on & supporting me from afar, and whenever I do get to spend time with them, they make me feel like I never left. And that’s the beauty of having been in such a tight-knit org, even though we’re all technically not in Kati anymore, we’ll always and forever be family.
BIO:
Chela joined Katipunan during her first year of college in 2015 and was a part of the PCN Core Team for 2018 and 2019. She graduated from UCR in 2019 with a B.S. in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology. She worked for one of the companies that developed one of the rapid tests for COVID-19. Chela recently started her own handmade earring business (@ shop.chelique on instagram) and enjoys reading, dancing, and being surrounded by her loved ones. She sends you all virtual hugs and hopes you all stay safe & healthy <3
Contact Info:
Email- chelaabregana@gmail.com
IG- @chelaangelique
