Striving for Excellence as a Servant Student Leader

Joben is an advocate for self-confidence and self-love. He has secured a foundation—strengthened by his family, faith, and culture—that has led him to leave a lasting mark on the St. John’s community. Take a minute to read about his St. John’s legacy, his passion for service, and his dream of one day becoming the chief executive officer of Protiviti Inc., a global financial consulting firm.

Why did you choose St. John's?

“I chose St. John’s because of its diversity. Coming from Long Island, NY, I didn't really have a lot of diversity growing up. I was the only Filipino kid in my high school, and really in my grade. Then I come to St. John’s; when I visited, it was tremendous. I was like, wow, this school is very diverse. I've met so many people from across the country and around the world. One of my best friends, before he left, was part of the Royal family of Burma. I didn’t even know where Burma was until we met.

The alumni network is tremendous. The study abroad programs are amazing. I was able to travel abroad. And of course, the opportunities the University provides its students are amazing. St. John’s gives you a lot of opportunities and it's up to you to decide what you want to do with it. College is what you make of it.”

Other than becoming a Graduate Assistant, what is next for you?

“I'm going to finish the Master of Science degree program in Enterprise Risk Management.

This summer I am very excited about my internship with Protiviti and the experience it will provide for me to start my consulting career and learn. It is really important thing to me to always seek knowledge. I like learning from people who are already accomplished and just want to absorb it all.

I want the Protiviti executives to teach me everything that they know. Then hopefully I can pay it forward and help somebody else when they join the firm. In this world, learning and growth are big things for me. I think you never stop learning and you never should stop growing as a person. My goal in the next six to seven years: to be Protiviti’s next chief executive officer.

Do you have a dream job?

“I would manage a company that helps others and gives back to the local community. I love to help others; I want everybody to have a place to live and an education. If I had my way, I would be the president and founder of my own country, I guess. I want to give back to my community. My parents and grandparents always give back. It is instilled in me. When you have something to give and you can afford to give it, why not give?”

Do you have a name for your country?

“I don't know, I would probably name it after my mom. Everything I strive to accomplish is mostly for my parents—but I also have dreams. For example, another dream of mine is to open my own hospital in the Philippines. Since it’s a third-world country, and my mom was a nurse, I would want to name it after her. I like doing the smallest things to brighten a person’s day.”

How have you been involved on campus?

“My most important leadership position was Student Ambassador. I was able to give prospective students tours of the campus and share my experience. In my junior year, I was elected tour coordinator on the executive board. I was responsible for scheduling individual tours and tours for Accepted Student Day and finding virtual ambassadors. Everything that I did my junior year for the program was because I wanted it to continue and succeed. I believe that if we didn’t put in the effort, the program would not be the same as it is now. This past year I served my second term as Vice President.

My second most important position was being the Senior Senator this past year for Student Government, Inc. (SGI). I knew it was going to be a lot of work with everything I was involved in already, but I wanted to change the narrative of what people thought SGI was.

I think back to the day before I even considered being an executive board member. People had the stigma of SGI only caring about students on their executive board, but I wanted to change that. I think we did a great job this year being there for the student body. We tried to show that we were here to help.

I think the best example of that is all the initiatives that the SGI President and the rest of us have done. I give all my credit to Ethan, who was the President. We had a positive impact on people’s lives. I was able to plan the senior week for my senior class. I worked with people who were younger than me to give them a taste of what SGI is, and encouraged them to become more involved. I was able to rebrand it and just keep building the organization with Ethan and the rest of our executive board.

Stout NYC was such a success. Mark Andrews, Director of Alumni Relations, really loved it and sent us $5,000 back. I could have just kept that money in the SGI account, but we decided to use it for the students. We got a food truck and Chick-fil-A in less than 24 hours to provide free food for those on campus. It was one of the biggest events that we had with long lines for each truck, and administrators really loved it. It was my last opportunity as the Senior Senator to really congratulate everybody.

In my fall semester I did an initiative called SGI Cares for two weeks where we gave out free T-shirts on Friday. I also hosted a three-on-three basketball tournament where people played basketball and they gave money. The money collected contributed to the senior scholarship. Then, I did Stout NYC as a fundraiser for a senior scholarship and to celebrate the senior class. I wanted to do everything I could to give back.”

What is the biggest lesson you've learned?

“I think the biggest lesson I learned is change is good. Embrace being uncomfortable in situations and learn to be comfortable. I think a lot of people are scared of change, but change makes us grow.”

You’ve already touched on this, but what was your overall St. John’s experience?

“I think if I could encapsulate my overall St John’s experience in one word, it would be ‘excitement’—from the very beginning. There is always something new to learn about yourself at St. John’s and there are always opportunities.

I just want to encourage people to have a positive impact in someone else’s life. Believe in yourself, love yourself, and be a good person. If you want change, then be the change to make the world a better place. And it sounds cliché, but I really live by that.

I also tell everybody whom I've met to dream big, dream crazy. You can achieve anything and everything. All you need is yourself. All you need is the right people around you to be a good person in the world and to have that positive impact. As long as you believe in yourself and love yourself, let your actions and accomplishments ROAR!”