Alyssa “AJ” Caduada, a senior from the Philippines majoring in psychology, has been selected as the Winter 2019 Graduation speaker. As she looked back on her time at BYUH, Caduada shared how the spiritual environment and supportive teachers are some of the things that made her experience wonderful and prepare her for future motherhood.
She said her future role as a mother helped her choose her major and shared what she wants students to remember about why they are in school.
Dawn Akana, assistant professor of exercise and sport science, said of Caduada, “She just wants to make a difference. She is the kind of person who is not afraid to stand up for something right. She is not afraid to help someone. She is more concerned about others [than] herself.”
Choosing psychology
Since Caduada was a child, she said she wanted to be a mother, and she wanted to study a subject enabling her to be the best mother. When she went to school in the Philippines, she studied nursing. Following her mission in the Philippines and transferring to BYUH, she felt prompted to switch to psychology.
She said, “I see, in a gospel sense, motherhood is one of the noblest things we can do. I figured I wanted to study anything that could help me prepare for my future role.”
When she studied her mom’s occupation of nursing, she said she realized it helped her mom. She stopped her studies to go on a mission. When she returned, she wanted to study at BYUH. The university offered courses in biology and psychology.
Another thing pushing her to study psychology, she said, was interacting with people on her mission. “With my experiences on my mission working with other people and being with different companions, I felt inclined to do psychology. I’ve always believed there’s a reason people do what they do. I was really fascinated and excited. I loved how I got to learn about behavior and mental processes. Instead of passing judgment on a person about why they act the way they do, I realize there is always a reason they act that way. I also wanted to fulfill my interest in biology.”
Advice to students
“For students currently studying here,” Caduada shared, “the scripture from Ecclesiastes says there is a time and a season for everything. There is a time to study, work, to go the temple, and to relax. Recognize there is a time for everything.
“I would also mention the importance of following the counsel in the Book of Mormon to counsel with the Lord in everything we do. That’s something that helped me. There are challenging courses that help you grow. Looking back, there were semesters where I would tell my mom, ‘This is so hard. I don’t know if I can survive this semester.’ Then I survived the semester, and I am so grateful I did.
“I acknowledge it is because of the Lord’s help and the help of other people. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t do it on my own. Doing things with the Lord, knowing their purpose and why they are here helps a lot.”
Another thing she shared is to remember why people are studying. Using her own experience as an example, she said, “Friends would ask me what I was studying, and I would be excited to tell them psychology. [They] would say, ‘Psychology? Isn’t that hard?’ I would always think how other majors are also difficult in many ways. They require a lot of things as well.
“If you know your purpose, and you remember why you are doing [your] major, that helps. I would tell my friends there are many requirements, but it is something I feel really passionate about. The passion, desire and purpose of why I’m studying helped me get through all the classes I’ve taken. It’s the same with other majors and work. My advice for people who plan to come here is to be aware of all the resources we have.”
As for Caduada’s future, Akana said she believes Caduada will be able to accomplish anything she wants. “She is a go-getter. She is able to articulate what she is thinking. She is kind. She is concerned about people. Whenever she works in a group, she always tries to involve people. She puts in the time.
“I don’t think it would matter what she wants to actually end up in. She would do well, and she would excel because she would put in the time and the effort. It wouldn’t be just to do a job. It would be because she wanted to learn in the process. I think that's one of the reasons she stands out from your typical student.”
BYUH and gospel connection
Caduada shared, “I love how gospel principles are incorporated in classroom settings. Here it’s interesting how teachers interrelate their teachings with gospel principles. It’s wonderful seeing how they don’t contradict each other but are connected.”
Caduada said she was touched when she was struggling in a class and her professor said students could be failing in the class and still reach the celestial kingdom. She said, “He wasn’t implying we could just flunk his class. What I got from that conversation is we learn, struggle, and try our best to do well. We need to learn the things which matter the most. As long as you have those values and characteristics, the school tries to encourage us to develop, [success] will follow academically.”
Akana shared how Caduada has applied these principles in the three classes she had with her. “She made the assignments meaningful to her. I think, in general, students do [assignments] just to get it done. She does them to learn something from it.”
Teachers who go the extra mile for their students, Caduada explained, made her glad she chose to come to BYUH. “I’m grateful for the support professors give. They are supportive, approachable and my experiences has made me reflect on how the Atonement works.
“There's a wonderful passage in the Book of Mormon which talks about being saved after all we can do. It’s the same with school in a way. Most professors are very helpful. After we do our part as students, attend our classes, submit homework, do papers, and take tests, they'll try to fill the gap.”