Grit and Grace: A TED Talk by Mano Amiga Students

From Left to Right- Hannah Apatan, Ivy Apatan, Sam Sto. Domingo, Lovely Villar, Jade Ng

Last February 18, we held the first face-to-face Grit and Grace after the pandemic. This was a TED Talk event that featured Ivy, Sam, and Lovely as they shared about resilience, kindness, and making a difference in the community.

The event opened with Hannah leading the opening prayer. Jade also welcomed everyone with her inspiring words, “The world today requires a great amount of grit and courage, mixed with compassion and kindness, to conquer its challenges that would help us mold into better beings of this planet.”

The TED Talk began with Ivy beautifully defining grit and grace, and their relation to resilience and kindness. She shared how Mano Amiga taught her to be a better person so that she can also help in making the lives of others better.

“Grit, resilience, grace, and kindness go hand in hand to better ourselves, the quality of our lives, and to better the lives of others.”

Sam narrated her life story and taught us about empathy and compassion. She shared her journey toward a deeper understanding of perfection and how that molded her to accept that grit also means the acceptance of weakness and failure so that growth can be cultivated. 

“I realize perfection is nothing but a construct, and the simplest and humblest of people are the strongest ones. Kindness is genuine. It is the sparkle in someone’s eye and the warmth in smiles. It does not come naturally or easily, but it is a mark of true strength to be kind to someone regardless of who they are. Resilience is trusting in the process because your best can look different every day.”

Lovely, one of the pioneers of Mano Amiga, described her life as a college student. She shared snippets of the things that she learned in school and related them to grit and grace. She also honored the pillars of Mano Amiga who allowed her to understand its true meaning - Ms. Lynn Pinugu and Ms. Rev Siasoyco. 

“To find the balance of grit and grace, do what nurtures and nourishes your soul to sustain yourself and your well-being, which can lead to having a strong determination to achieve and be successful in life.” 

It was a beautiful time to hear about our student’s journeys as they venture into an unknown but exciting future. As Lynn Pinugu, Mano Amiga Executive Director said, during the event, 

“You are what excites us!”