A necessary ending.

Josephine 'Josie' Guico Villanueva served as President of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) Guam Chapter for the 2022-2023 program year. This article is adapted from her President's Message, published in AGA's Guahan Gaseta.

Taken with my Bestie – Ate Belle Atienza, delivering dinner at my office at Chancery. Grateful to her for her patience (long waiting), support, and companionship all these years

THE THROWBACK:

In 2016, I was at one of the Chapter Executive Committee (CEC) meetings, where I shared my plans of accepting the job offer to join the Archdiocese of Agana, taking over the role of archdiocesan finance officer. At that time, there were several sex abuse cases being filed one after another, and filing bankruptcy was a given probability. Some of my friends had shared their reservations about accepting the job, and some joked that I might not last for six (6) months and have to shift and work elsewhere again. And now, it was almost close to seven (7) years of serving, and if I were to write my story, it would be one of the most gratifying and fulfilling parts of my professional career. Of course, there are many bumps along the way, some resistance when bringing in new perspectives, and the long and tedious four (4) years of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process. Without that nudges from my friends and colleagues who have made me think hard, I wouldn’t find myself loving my work and meeting and working with so many intelligent and dedicated people around the community who purposefully support their faith-filled mission and vision.

This month is bittersweet as I bid temporary goodbye and step down from my post to refocus on self-care and allow myself to bounce back. I have been very grateful for my colleagues with whom I worked for a while who have taken on some of my responsibilities. It is indeed a necessary ending so that the team I left in the department can spread their wings and discover what they can accomplish and can be capable of in my absence. And to me, time to pull my schedules together and spend more time with family and friends without rushing on time or being on and off my laptop, take more time gardening and the much needed exercise.

IN THE NOW:

Last April, we were fortunate to have Mr. Eugene Wallace- Chief Operating Officer of BWI Learning, Oregon, to talk about “Exceeding Customer Expectation as Back Office Support.” It was another load of helpful information, and it is excellent to know that we can have other options for affordable training modules that are topic-specific from their online platform.

The month of May has a lot of celebrations and gatherings. We just had our CEC in-person dinner meeting as I start transitioning to the new President-Elect, RG Paglingayen, for the next program year this June. Thanks to our dedicated CEC in attendance and other members. It is also a particular month for celebrating Mother’s Day and those with motherly instincts. In the Philippines, there are back-to-back traditional villages, Fiestas called “Flores de Mayo” (Flowers of May). Again, special thanks to AGA Young Professional Committee, led by Rachel Cubacub and Mariah Castro, JAS President and Professor Jason Katigbak from the Education Committee and also representing the board for the Guam Society of CPA’s who successfully pulled together a Student & Professional Mixer, which has a large number of students and young professionals turn out. It was a great collaboration among the students, curious about what finance professionals do and hearing stories and experiences of the do’s and don’ts during interviews and while on the job.

During the AGA-GSCPA mixer, I also extended a get-together celebration with my former accounting students. Glady’s Sazon is one of our very young professional members who just recently passed the US CPA board exam and is working on earning her license, which is the easy part. Some had their own stories and were all working on continuing education. As their prior adjunct instructor at the University of Guam, I am proud and joyful to hear their success stories. I was fortunate to be invited to a last-minute interview with 23 Financial Management/Accounting Students of Batangas State University, Philippines via Zoom at their Junior Financial Executives Organization. For us in the profession, let it be our mission to influence students and young professionals to continue to pursue their financial professional careers when opportunities arise.

While early in May, full-time instructors and adjuncts are busy finalizing grades, especially with graduations around, it is nice to see some familiar faces on social media and acquaintances that completed their educational journey. Leveraging Perpetual Learning and Diversity to thrive in today’s rapidly changing world. 4 | May 2023 Beautiful Flame Tree across Sunny Plaza, Tamuning. GUÅHAN GASETA Program Year 2022-2023 Just recently, I was so thrilled to know the exciting news that Professor Jason, has successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation and is so close to him completing his doctoral degree. Congratulations again to our new graduates and colleagues making significant progress in their professional and educational endeavors

TAKE AWAYS:

Change is an integral part of life; a necessary ending is just part of it for us to progress and thrive. Embracing the discomfort of necessary endings is essential to discover ourselves from a different perspective, what we are capable of becoming, and is vital for our collective advancement.

Necessary endings can take many forms. It may involve letting go of practices that no longer serve our best interests, bidding farewell to relationships that hinder our collective growth, deciding to discontinue habits or ineffective efforts, or even taking calculated risks to explore new opportunities.

Another necessary ending for personal and career growth could be letting go of self-limiting beliefs. We often hold beliefs about ourselves, and our capabilities are rooted in fear, doubt, or negative experiences. These beliefs can hold us back from reaching our full potential and pursuing our dreams.

In segue, while the month of May can be for flowers of seasonal blooms, I came across this Flame Tree with spectacular red-orange flowers, which is hard to miss in the Tamuning area. According to online articles, the word “flame” in the name refers to its canopy of scarlet flowers. The tree is planted in many tropical regions brought by Spaniards, symbolizing pride, hope, and rest.

As we do self-reflection, letting go of self-limiting beliefs opens up a world of possibilities, empowering us to pursue our passions, take risks, and achieve personal growth beyond what we previously thought possible; let me end this message with another favorite Bible verse of mine: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” - Timothy 4:7

11 - 2023 May Newsletter.pdf

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