RARELY do student-athletes pursue degree programs of such magnitude as engineering while treading through their collegiate sporting careers.
But this version of National University’s men’s basketball team actually has two of them.
READ: NU extinguishes La Salle's nine-game hot streak
As the Bulldogs missed out on the UAAP Season 87 Final Four, graduating seniors Pat Yu and Donn Lim are off to the next chapters of their lives outside basketball.
A family affair
Following his brother and ex-Bulldog Dave’s footsteps, Yu passed the civil engineering board exam in 2023 and played out his last two years of eligibility in Seasons 86 and 87.
READ: Pat Yu engineers UAAP Season 87's biggest upset as NU stuns UP
The choice for him to become a civil engineer came down to a light-hearted discussion he had with his father.
Yu wanted to become a businessman, but instead, went on to complete unfinished business for his family which paved the way for the Yu clan to have a pair of civil engineer brothers.
“Nag-usap kami ng tatay ko kasi gusto ko sana mga business-business lang. Sabi niya, kung mag-engineer ka, kaya mo pa rin namang mag-businessman,” Yu told SPIN.ph.
“Piliin mo na ‘yung mahirap para ‘pag nagtapos ka, okay na.
“Lahat naman ng course, mahirap eh. Depende rin sa tao yan kung ano o saan ka malakas. Hindi ako agree du’n na 'pag engineering ka, mahirap. ‘Yung ibang courses din naman, mahirap din talaga,” he answered when asked if his course made it much harder to be a student-athlete.
He could’ve started his engineering career last year after passing the boards, but there’s a simple reason why he chose to stay for two more years.
As he put it, “Gusto ko lang talagang mag-give back sa NU community at sa management namin.”
Almost wasn’t to be
While Yu has already reached his post-basketball goal, Lim is still a few more steps away.
After his oncoming graduation, he’ll be next to take the civil engineering boards and await his fate from there.
Just like Yu, Lim chose a career path that already runs in their family - and drew inspiration from there.
“Ako, na-inspire ako sa dad ko, kasi yung dad ko, engineer din. Ever since nung bata ako, lagi niya 'kong sinasama sa mga fieldwork niya kaya napili ko yung engineering,” Lim shared with SPIN.ph.
Another major influence of his? Yu.
As he put it, “Nai-inspire lang ako every time na iniisip kong 'di ko kaya o nag-ooverthink ako, iniisip ko si Pat. Na-iinspire akong kaya ko.”
But it was a journey that almost wasn’t to be, as Lim shared how he nearly failed his classes right before turning his fortunes around with hard work, sacrifice, and belief that all will be all right in time.
“Honestly, before yung eligibility term, muntik na 'ko bumagsak. Kaya nagdoble-hataw ako sa aral. Hindi ako nakapagensayo ng mga two weeks siguro, then eventually nakapasa ako,” Lim bared.
“Sobrang hirap siya, pero nothing is impossible.”
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