My special project journey began with the Virtual Orientation on EDS 199 - Special Project (2T-2024), held on February 13, 2025. After that, my initial plans centered on pursuing an ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) instructional design project for Vietnamese students in Cao Lanh City, where I reside. I believed that something along these lines would be the most feasible undertaking for an offshore UPOU student like me. Truth be told, I was confident that my first ideas would be approved because I had repeatedly asked faculty members and peers at UPOU whether having a Vietnamese target audience would be acceptable, and I was assured that it would be. 

Then came February 19, when I had a one-on-one meeting with Sir Ley, who immediately posed a challenge: "As a UP student, why not do something for the Filipino people?" We spent the rest of the session brainstorming what I could do that would be of service to my fellow Filipinos. I was frantic at first, unsure if such a project would be possible in my situation—living overseas, in a small provincial city, and far from Filipino communities. At the same time, I was grateful for being redirected before I even got started so that I could set my sights on a project that would hold meaning and remain connected to my identity as a Filipino. 

In the following month, I went on a target search. On two occasions, I travelled four hours to and from Ho Chi Minh City to attend face-to-face meetings with prospective partners. I sent emails and messages to various educator friends in both Vietnam and the Philippines—most of whom did not respond. I updated Sir Ley on potential partner institutions and project objectives, and I was told more than once to look again, search again, and try again. 

It was on March 17 that I returned to where I started—Vietnamese students in Cao Lanh City. But this time, as I explained that the teachers were Filipino, Sir Ley suggested that I "train the teachers" instead. And it hit me. From that point on, I knew I had found a project that aligned with both my heart's desired pursuit and my responsibility to serve Filipinos as an Eskolar ng Bayan. I sent an email to Future Integrated Schools (FIS), in which there are four (4) Filipino English teachers, and Ms. Phan Thi Than Thuy, or Ms. Tiffany, agreed to meet regarding a potential collaboration on my special project. 

On March 21, I had an on-site meeting with Ms. Tiffany, the Vice Principal of Future Integrated Schools (FIS), who then agreed to be my gatekeeper. I proposed collaborating on a project on teacher training and professional development. Since the formal school year was already ending, this project would focus on the instructional design of a training program or resource materials for teachers ahead of the school's summer program activities. Ms. Tiffany welcomed my ideas and expressed the need for help in preparation for their summer program, specifically English speech eloquence summer classes for students who may compete in the annual English Speaking Contest hosted by the Department of Education and Training (DOET) in Dong Thap. 

This marked the beginning of a meaningful partnership and an arduous yet fulfilling journey in which I am able to serve a community of Filipino educators in Vietnam, promote the importance of teacher training and professional development, work on a focal subject—English—that I am passionate about, and practice my instructional design skills together with everything I've learned as a BES student at UPOU.