“Success begins with dedication, resilience, and a genuine love for learning,” she said.

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‎Mr. Sanchez is a Summa Cum Laude graduate, top of his batch in Accountancy, currently a Senior Finance Manager at Procter & Gamble, and much more.

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‎Despite being a self-proclaimed “corporate slave,” Mr. Sanchez strongly preaches how reading never becomes irrelevant no matter what the field. ‎He believes that reading should be used for reading people, emotions, the room, and life.

 

‎The Quantum’s Editor-in-Chief, Ms. Elyzza Marie O. Esteban, led the interview with Mr. Sanchez, opening the session as he shared his unforgettable moments with PaSci.

 

He shared that the moments that really stuck with him were during the speech choir. He recalled the joyful memories that he made despite being exhausted after a long day. He reminded the students to take these opportunities to build connections and memories.

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Mr. Sanchez reminisced about his younger self, and how he couldn’t have imagined being where he is today due to all the uncertainties. In college, the students there are the best of the best from schools like Manila Science and Philippine Science. “Just value the teachings and lessons from high school and that will propel you to college. Your only edge is what you learnt here. “

 

On the topic of his former English Teacher, Ms. Lagaña’s methods on motivating him to read more, Mr. Sanchez says that it wasn’t a lesson that taught him the value of reading, but a policy—specifically, the English-only policy. It taught him to appreciate English, especially since his work often aligns with other nationalities.

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‎As an accountant, it taught Mr. Sanchez lots of things. Specifically, “It teaches discipline, it teaches you to be humble… Humility is very important. Beyond IQ, what we need is EQ. Understanding other people and what they need is the key to success in life.”

 

Mr. Sanchez asks the audience who has Facebook. When almost everyone raises their hand, he makes the point that everyone reads daily. Reading is applied differently for everyone. But for his personal experiences as an accountant in the American company PNG, they deal with dollars. The most important thing to him is the foreign exchange rate. 1 dollar = 59 pesos. If he’s not able to go through social media to see the new exchange rate or hurricanes, he can’t update his coworkers.

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There was a point in Mr. Sanchez’s life where he read something and it helped him through the adversity he was currently facing. That something was Ms. Rogacion’s daily news policy for her AP class, because her method randomly selects the reporter. If the reporter was unable to recite, they failed for that day. As a grade-conscious child, the thought weighed on his mind.

 

According to Mr. Sanchez, reading applies to people as well In order to lead his team, he needs to assess their emotions, needs, wants, and career aspirations. His team consists of plant finance managers, which impacts the work they do.

 

He shares his college experience—subjects in La Salle lasted 4 to 5 hours, with daily exams. While it may sound brutal, Mr. Sanchez states that the treatment was justified considering it was the standard for accountants. “Generally, whatever school you go to, what’s important is to carry what you learned in this school. No matter the field.”

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To guide learners to start reading more, Mr. Sanchez suggests focusing on topics that pique one’s interest—whether that be gossip, manga, or a news article. Reading sharpens the ability to understand and communicate; communicating in a concise, direct, and sharp way is essential when communicating with intellectuals.

 

For books, Mr. Sanchez recommended The Da Vinci Code. Though he admits it may be too mature for the audience demographic, it was the only book he read cover to finish. He also recommends the book, I Do Not Give a Blank, a thriller that helped him grasp essential knowledge. Most importantly, he advised reading textbooks.

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‎”I know some of you aren’t realizing the value of reading, high school, and the hardships you’ll face in the real world. Don’t be afraid to dream, no matter what your status. If you’re afraid to dream, you’ll lose the passion to work harder and aspire to be more.” Said Mr. Sanchez as his final reminder.

 

Photos by: Gabrielle Ayesha Nicolas, Dexter Ogale, Pearl Belena, Aliyah Lopez, Kylie Ronquillo, Reizhen Tualla, Santine Susa, Ryza Sophia Anabo, Leina Eavonne Miguel