Growing Leaders from Within: College Students Experience Reflection and Renewal at the CCGS Farm Experience
January 31 – February 1, 2026, marked a meaningful and well-spent weekend for our college students as they participated in the College Comprehensive Growth Series (CCGS), also known as the Farm Experience, held at The Farm, Sitio Manalo, Brgy. Sampaloc, Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Designed as part of the Leadership Course (LC2) – Values and Character Development, the CCGS serves as a reflection-type instructional program that moves learning beyond the four walls of the classroom. By immersing students in nature and intentional silence, the experience created the perfect environment for personal growth, self-awareness, and deeper discernment.
A Learning Experience Rooted in Reflection
Unlike traditional academic sessions, the Farm Experience focused on slowing down and looking inward. Surrounded by greenery and open spaces, students were allowed to step away from daily distractions and reconnect with their inner values.
The module, Values Identification, Discernment, and Formation, guided participants through activities that encouraged thoughtful reflection on questions such as:
What principles shape who I am today?
How do my personal values align with my goals and responsibilities?
How can I become a more values-driven leader?
Through structured workshops, journaling, sharing circles, and guided exercises, students discovered that leadership begins with clarity of character.
Strengthening Community and Character
Beyond individual growth, the CCGS emphasized collaboration and shared purpose. Group discussions and team activities fostered empathy, understanding, and stronger peer connections.
Students explored strategies to:
Nurture positive habits
Support one another’s development
Align behaviors with professional decorum and institutional standards
Build a values-centered class culture
The experience reinforced that leadership is not only about achievement, but also about integrity, accountability, and service to others.
More Than an Overnight Stay
What made the Farm Experience truly impactful was its balance of nature, reflection, and intentional learning. The calm environment of the countryside allowed students to recharge mentally and emotionally while rediscovering their purpose.
By the end of the retreat, participants returned to campus not only refreshed but also more grounded, self-aware, and committed to becoming leaders of character.
The College Comprehensive Growth Series continues to be a testament to the institution’s mission: to form competent professionals and principled individuals who lead with heart, values, and responsibility.
Because sometimes, the most powerful growth happens when we pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters.
