Senior Adam Esclamado has no issue with public speaking. Standing in front of around 50 members of Isang Bansa (IB), the on-campus Filipino Cultural Club at LMU, Esclamado talks with ease and animation. Dressed clad in comfortable basketball shorts and a matching shirt, Esclamado appears comfortable and at ease on a Wednesday night–even with over 50 students looking at him.
He sits back in his chair while he presents a powerpoint for the club meeting, detailing the upcoming club events, such as dance performances and upcoming E-Board nomination. Esclamado utilizes his hands enthusiastically and makes sure to include inside-club jokes with facility throughout the presentation. This is just one of many tasks Esclamado performs as President of IB, but it appears to be the easiest for him.
However, Esclamado wasn’t always like this.
Esclamado joined IB as a freshman, following the footsteps of his brother who had been involved in the club throughout his college career at LMU. “He would come home during summer and tell me how he found a new family at LMU,” Esclamado said. “He would always show me pictures, and I knew I wanted something to call my own like that too.” He grew up in Foster City, California, but knew from a young age he wanted to move to Los Angeles. As the younger of two brothers, Esclamado was inspired by his older brother growing up, and continues to look up to him today.
In the beginning, Esclamado still felt shy and unsure as a first year student. “I never would have thought three years ago that this is where I would be now–the president of a club that I thought was so f*cking cool,” Esclamado said.
As Esclamado became more involved, he applied for a leadership position, and soon became Treasurer of IB during his sophomore year. However, Esclamado’s experience was still limited, as the pandemic hindered him from fully connecting with other members and strengthening friendships–the entire goal of joining IB.
“I did have a good time, but that was only because the E-Board [Executive Board] consisted of my Big and my other friends,” Esclamado said. “Holding meetings online and not being able to interact with people in person took away the whole point of IB.”
As Esclamado came into his junior year, he ran for IB President, and was soon nominated by the end of the year. Esclamado is tasked with delegating events and ensuring IB continues to foster close relationships and connections.
“I’ve always considered my character wanting to be there for others and wanting to support the people that I care about in any way that I can,” Esclamado said. “I also consider myself to have a genuine heart that just wants everyone to be included and get along. So to be able to carry that out throughout the entire club as a family was really satisfying to me.”
Throughout Esclamado’s experience with IB, he continues to create new connections and strengthen existing ones. Esclamado expresses a special love for the IB Retreat, a yearly event that aims to create deeper bonds between members.
“I like the retreat because it’s where people come out of their shell and people can see who people actually are. It just feels like a giant sleepover with everyone,” Esclamado said. “You also have the opportunity to express yourself in ways you haven’t before.”
Even sitting in a cafe with Esclamado, his confidence and easy-going demeanor shines through. He sits comfortably on the couch, leaning into the conversation and earnestly moving his hands as he talks. His laugh is loud and rambunctious, and his voice fills the room as he gets more excited.
“I owe so much to this club,” Esclamado said, smiling to himself. “It’s crazy to think about myself in freshman year–I’m so completely different than how I am now, and I could not be prouder of who I am and who I became.”