Finding Growth in Leadership and Community: Amiel’s Student Member Story
- PMI Philippines
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
Learning by Doing
For Amiel Damasco, growth in project management has come not only from studying concepts in class, but from taking on real work and learning through experience. A BS Management Engineering student at Ateneo de Manila University and a student member of PMI Philippines Chapter, he has built his skills through campus involvement, hands-on responsibilities, and a willingness to learn along the way. These experiences have allowed him to see how leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving come together in real project settings.
He first became active in student organizations for a practical reason. After hearing from company representatives that organizational experience can matter as much as, or even more than, grades, he saw student leadership as a way to strengthen his CV and prepare for better career opportunities.
Finding His Leadership Style
Amiel describes himself as a leader who values listening before deciding. As a first-time project manager in a college setting, he found himself navigating unfamiliar processes, paperwork, and team dynamics. With guidance from his operations head, he gradually learned what the role demanded and how to lead more effectively.
That experience showed him that project management is something best understood through practice. While courses can provide a foundation, the day-to-day realities of managing people, timelines, and expectations offer lessons that are harder to learn in theory alone. As he puts it, he is “inquisitive and open to learn,” and he sees trust, collaboration, and openness as essential to good leadership.
Leading Nexus
That mindset became especially clear during Nexus, the annual fundraiser and networking night project of Google Developer Groups on Campus - Loyola. Amiel served as one of the two PM Leads for the initiative, which helps fund two of the organization’s later events: Circuit, a company tour event, and Hackfest, its hackathon competition.
Nexus featured a four-day booth-selling activity along Ateneo’s Red Brick Road, with 26 concessionaires taking part, as well as a networking night that brought together around 75 participants from five campuses
For Amiel, the project’s most important goal was revenue generation, since the funds raised would help support upcoming events and contribute to the Hackfest prize pool. His role covered much of the project lifecycle. From early ideation and goal-setting to aligning the team, planning with his co-PM and operations head, and staying present during execution, he helped guide the project from concept to completion while responding to issues in real time.
Lessons in Communication
Nexus showed Amiel just how important communication is in project management. Throughout the project, he coordinated with teammates, school administrators, sponsors, suppliers, and other stakeholders, reinforcing the value of clear and timely updates.
The team also had to adapt quickly when some areas needed extra support during planning and execution. Despite these challenges, Nexus exceeded its initial target of 10 to 15 concessionaires by reaching 26. For Amiel, though, the most rewarding part was seeing students from different campuses come together and build meaningful connections at the networking night.
Guided by Mentorship
Amiel’s interest in project management began even earlier, thanks to his aunt, Agnes Martinez, who also serves as Head of the Membership Committee of PMI Philippines Chapter. He shared that she first introduced him to project management as a profession when he was still in senior high school, and that early exposure helped shape the direction he wanted to pursue.
While planning Nexus, Amiel often turned to her for advice on best practices, priorities, and next steps. What he appreciated most was that she guided him without making decisions for him, giving him space to think through challenges and grow into the role himself.
One piece of advice stayed with him in particular: “Project management is 90% communication.” It is a lesson that has shaped how he works, from being more intentional about updates to making sure important project information is organized, clear, and accessible.
Growing Through PMI
For Amiel, joining PMI Philippines Chapter felt like a natural next step in a journey already shaped by curiosity, initiative, and a drive to keep learning. He wanted to expand his network, learn from more experienced practitioners, and eventually prepare for the CAPM through the chapter’s resources and opportunities.
Even from a single PMI event he attended last October, he said he gained valuable insight into industry practices and a clearer sense of how to prepare for the professional world ahead. Looking forward, he hopes to continue taking on project management roles in Ateneo, refine his skills through experience, and pursue the CAPM after graduation.
He describes his journey so far as “formative,” “challenging,” and “insightful.” His story is a reminder that meaningful growth often begins when students place themselves in communities where learning is shared, experience is passed on, and potential is taken seriously.
